


What Could Have Been

by randomclustermissile



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Abuse, Car Accidents, Child Abuse, Contains spoilers for Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Before the Storm, Drugs, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Guns, Kidnapping, Knives, Physical Abuse, Polyamory, Slow Burn, Smoking, Spoilers, Suicide Attempt, Swearing, Verbal Abuse, drugging and kidnapping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2020-08-23 19:38:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 35
Words: 133,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20202697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomclustermissile/pseuds/randomclustermissile
Summary: Max is trapped in the Dark Room, drugged and kidnapped by the sick fuck Mark Jefferson. She makes one last ditch effort to escape out, but it doesn't quite go as planned. She finds herself in an entirely new timeline.And by God she's not going to let Chloe die again.WARNING: This fic contains spoilers for Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Before the Storm, including the bonus episode: "Farewell"





	1. Backward

"Oh, Max! You fucked up my shot!" The man named Mark Jefferson screamed as he gripped Max's face. Max simply moaned. She had regained enough consciousness to look at her surroundings.

  
_ "Oh God..."_ She thought to herself. "I'm back in the dark room." She looked for a photo, anything to help her escape, even for a few seconds. Nothing within her general vicinity. She looked up at Jefferson, mustering the energy to scowl. He chuckled slightly and stood up. He lazily slapped Max's face so that she slumped back to the floor. It may not have hurt that much, but she still spat out blood, staining the white sheet she was laying on. _"My nose is bleeding again..."_ Max thought. _"Yuck I can taste it. My head hurts."_ In her peripherals she watched as he walked over to a trolley with a syringe in his hand. Max moaned again, knowing what was coming. 

"Perhaps you need another shot." Jefferson smirked. Max spat as far as she could, just barely getting blood and saliva on his shoes. Jefferson looked mad for a minute, but then smiled and wiped it off with a handkerchief. "My you are a fighter, aren't you?" He said, walking ever-so-slowly over to Max's live corpse. His footsteps quietly clicked on the hard linoleum. "Too bad I'm up to all of your little tricks." He tapped the syringe twice with a gloved finger. "So now there's nothing stopping us from taking photos, for the rest of your life." He stopped inches away from Max and crouched down. "Which, with any luck, won't be for very long." He smiled evilly and pushed Max's head down, exposing her neck. Max struggled. Her hands and feet were bound with duct tape. Tears streamed down her eyes. 

_"Maybe if I just imagine a photo..."_ Max thought. _"Or anything..."_ The only thing swirling around in her mind was Chloe, and the horrific tornado set to destroy Arcadia Bay the very next day. At this rate, she won't be able to save either of them. She tried to hard to think about Chloe and only Chloe, hard enough to get a strong image in her brain. She felt a prick in her neck and realised it was over.

But the needle stopped. She looked up, and realised her former teacher, Mark Jefferson, had completely frozen. Mere seconds away from once again taken advantage of. Her vision was starting to blur. She could see faint white outlines familiar to ones she'd see before she time travelled in her peripherals. She was getting woozy, and she couldn't tell whether it was from the drug, or from her powers. 

_"Chloe... I'm coming Chloe..."_ She whispered, before collapsing on the ground, unconscious. 

*

Max gasped as she awoke. She hit her head on a dresser HARD as she got up. She groaned and rubbed her head, wondering where the hell she was. She stood up and looked around. She instinctively ducked before her head hit the ceiling, which was a lot lower than she expected. "Where the hell am I?" She mumbled out loud. "I don't recognise this place from any of my photos. Is this like when I woke up in... my classroom?" She looked around. She could see a cot up against a wall. Boxes and various household items were strewn everywhere. "Ok. So I'm in an attic. It's small and cramped. Ok so which attic is this? It's not my parents house." Max felt her legs turn cold, and she started shivering. She looked down and realised she was wearing short shorts. "What the hell? Where are my jeans? I'm fucking freezing." She put her hand over her mouth after she spoke. "Why do I sound so different?" She suddenly became very scared. "Where the fuck am I?" 

And then she saw it. Glistening, in the distance, reflecting the sunlight through the window behind it, leaving a lovely golden shimmer in its surroundings.

"Chloe's amulet." 


	2. A Better Farwell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max wakes up in Chloe's attic in the year 2008. She's 13 years old again, but she still retains all the memories up until 2013. She uses this opportunity to repair the hole in her relationship with Chloe before it even tears.

"Got it." Max breathed a sigh of relief when she grabbed the amulet - which really was just a glass lid with markings on it. She leaned up against wall next to the dusty, broken window, the sun streaming through, exposing the dust particles inside the attic. She sighed. She looked out the backyard and saw a young Chloe with long blond hair on the ladder of her swing set, scouring the "land" from her "boat". Max laughed, remembering how much fun that day was, then suddenly stopped when she remembered how it ends. Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar figure resting on the window. "Hi again little guy. Never thought I'd see you again." Max gazed at the blue butterfly resting on the broken glass. "If you're here, then I must be here for a reason." She sighed. "Who am I kidding. You might just be another regular blue butterfly and there's nothing mystical about it." She paused. "Mind you, it's an incredible coincidence that I see a blue butterfly the two times after I've time traveled back more than a few minutes without a photo." She closed her eyes. "God that time was only 5 days and that was barely a vision. This time it's FIVE YEARS and it's very fucking real." The butterfly danced a little bit on the window, moving around. "So what do I need to do? I'm here for a reason, right?" The butterfly turned, almost like it was trying to face her, then flew off. Max sighed, disappointed, then she looked back down at Chloe, who was looking up at her. 

"Are you just watching me up there, creeper?" Chloe called up to Max, waving her trowel around like a dagger.

_"Aw man."_ Max thought. _"Heh, that song isn't even out yet."_ Max pondered a moment on how to respond to Chloe, she knew she had a chance to do-over the mistakes she did in the other timeline before they even happened. "You are one of a kind, Chloe Price." Max shouted back, a loving smile plastered on her face. 

"What?" Chloe looked confused - and rightly so. Max had never really opened up like this before. 

"I'm lucky you're my best friend, that's all. I really think I don't appreciate you enough. I really want you to know how much I care about you." Max smiled, hoping Chloe would understand.

"Damn right you're lucky, you mushy weirdo. Did you find the amulet?" Chloe looked slightly uncomfortable. 

_"I guess when you're a young teenager you don't really know how to deal with genuine heart-to-heart stuff like that, especially out of nowhere."_ Max thought to herself. She held up the amulet and winked at her.

"Awesome! Now get your ass down here, we have treasure to find!" Chloe grinned. 

"On my way." 

About a minute later, Max returned outside with the amulet. It was warm out, with a slight cool breeze that tickled her small, bare legs. 

"Dude, you did it!" Chloe cried, holding her telescope to the sky triumphantly. 

Max almost said something offhand like _"It was no big deal"_, but thought against it. Instead she said, "Yeah! Oh boy it was treacherous up thar!" She imitated a pirate growl, causing Chloe to giggle. 

"Bring the amulet here so I can see!" Chloe called eagerly. Max knew she was clearly very genuinely excited about all this. She took a moment to remember the events before she got to the attic in the original timeline - blowing up the dolls, finding all the cool stuff Chloe had when cleaning up her room, Chloe chastising her when she had the absolute GALL to consider throwing out Mr. Sharkie. She remembered first finding the map and beginning their adventure. She giggled. Good memories. Now it was her turn to make it even better.

"Wait, Chloe!" Max suddenly remembered her Polaroid. She glanced at it briefly, remembering that this is the camera she has when she first wakes up after the tornado vision. The one that ends up breaking in Chloe's truck 5 years later. She shook off the thought. Chloe was eyeing her oddly. She held up her camera and said, "Land ho!" 

Chloe smiled, and went further up the ladder, holding her telescope in one hand and pointing outwards with the other. Max walked around a bit to find a good angle, then took the shot. She shook the picture a few times and admired her handiwork.

_"She really looks cute here."_ Max smiled and thought to herself. She put the photo in the back pocket of her shorts and handed Chloe the amulet. 

"Yarr, ye must ask permission before settin' foot- er... peg on another captain's boat!" Chloe said in pirate-talk. 

Max laughed, and resisted the urge to call Chloe a dork, and instead decided to play along. "Permission to come aboard, Captain Bluebeard?"

"Arrrrr! Permission granted!" Chloe laughed. "Damn. I can't get this amulet to stay on. See if you can find some tape or whatever." 

"I think I saw some around the corner from the yard." Max said, and immediately went to go grab it. _"I haven't had this much fun in a long time."_ Max thought to herself. She grabbed the tape and crouched down to look at the tire garden next to it, eating up the sunlight. _"I think this is the last time Chloe felt true happiness as well. And then I went and ruined it. I have to make sure I don't do that again. I have to be there for Chloe. I will SAVE her." _

"What'cha doing over there, buddy?" Chloe called out. "Come on, if you have the tape, bring it to me and I'll stick this damn thing on."

"Coming!" Max cried. _"Man she's always finding an excuse to swear, isn't she?" She thought. "Can't say I blame her."_ Max ran over and gave Chloe the tape. "Here you go."

"Sweet! Now let's go searching for treasure, arr!" Chloe giggled. "Man I feel 9 years old again."

Max always forgot that Chloe was a year older than her. They spent so much time together that they just felt the same age. "I'm sure that's how Chloe feels too." Max thought to herself. 

"Here, you stand up here and look through the amulet, and tell me where I need to be." Chloe hopped down from the ladder and gave Max the telescope, which now bore the amulet, fixed onto the end. 

"Okay..." Max felt unsure. She obliged, anyway. Chloe seemed too excited and Max didn't want to spoil that. Even though she knew she inevitably will when she tells her the news. _"God I'm already kicking myse- my younger self, for not telling her earlier."_ She thought to herself. _"And then there's what happened right after."_ She sighed. She climbed up the ladder and looked around. "What are these drawings?" She cursed her younger self for not being more clearer. "Wait, if I turn this all the way around, and then line it up with the windows then- YES!" She cried. "I've got it!" She called to Chloe.

"Okay just tell me where I need to be- ah, relative to me." Chloe responded.

"Okay so uh... move to your... right. I mean left. Sorry. Your left. About two steps." Max directed. 

"You're good at this, aren't you?" Chloe said snidely. 

"Oh yeah, and you're so good at cleaning your room, right?"

"Did Max Caulfield just use sarcasm?" Chloe said, genuinely shocked. "I can't believe it." 

"Fuck off. Just step towards me one step and you're there." 

"SWEARING, TOO?" Chloe practically screamed. "Jesus Max. Looks like I've been a good influence on you." 

"You have no idea. Anyway, grab that shovel and we'll get digging."

"Aye aye, Long Max Silver!" Chloe made a mock salute and ran off to grab the shovel. She just as quickly ran back to the spot and began digging. Within seconds she hit hard plastic, and she and Max scooped around it to find it.

"The treasure!" They both cried, hi-fiving. 

"Score!" Chloe laughed. She grabbed the large plastic container and ran inside, quickly stopping to wipe the dirt of her shoes. Max followed suit, eagerly watching as she prised open the container. It made a funny popping noise as it opened. 

"Wait... this isn't what we buried, is it?" Chloe asked. "Who the hell is 'Bloody Bill?'" 

"Who do ya think?" Max replied cheekily. "Play the tape and find out."

"Max, how do you know this?" 

"Oh come on. His name is Bill. Who else could it be?"

Chloe played the tape. "It's my dad! Of course. I'm so dumb." 

Max looked at the photo that lay on top, next to the tape. _"There he is. What a goofball."_ She thought to herself. 

"Ahoy there, plankwalkers!" William Price's voice rang out through the tape recorder. Chloe smiled, causing Max's heart to flutter slightly. "It's me, Bloody Bill, the pirate king!" Chloe and Max laughed. "By now ye'll have seen that I dug up yer treasure!" He quickly broke character and hurriedly said, "Which would normally make us mortal enemies, but, hear me out! I haven't pilfered a thing!" Max took a quick look at the other stuff inside the plastic container and sighed inwardly so Chloe couldn't hear. "On the contrary!" Bloody Bill continued. "I figured ye swashbucklers might not be back for yer loot for some time, so I've given it extra protection from the winds and rain. I'm sure you're excited to open your time capsule, so I won't go on too long. Just know that Bloody Bill is bloody proud of you. Both of you." Max almost started crying, but tried not to for Chloe's sake. "Keep those sails trimmed and that anchor scrubbed. And always remember: the real treasure is-"

"Friendship." Chloe said dryly.

"Love." Max said, equally dryly.

"-your Oregon State Pre-Paid College Savings Plan! Argh." William finished. It was almost like he set that joke up on purpose. Chloe and Max laughed. Chloe stopped the tape and put the recorder away.

"Hey Chloe?" Max asked. She could feel tears forming in her eyes. "I have to tell you something."

Chloe looked uneasy and Max regretted asking. "Uh... can it wait until after we've examined our loot?" She winked at Max.

"Sure. Of course." Max turned around, wiped the tears away and shook herself off. "Right. What do we have 'ere?" 

"That's what we originally buried!" Chloe said, pulling out an old metal lunchbox, which had clearly seen better days. The word 'PIRATE' was written on it. A ship was coming into shore and a large treasure chest lay on a beach with trees behind it. Chloe opened it up. "Holy crap! It's Billy the Squid! He's alive!" Chloe cried out happily as she pulled an old red squid plush out of the lunchbox. "Oh man! It really is like a time capsule." 

"More than you could ever know, Chloe." Max whispered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Hey check out these letters! We must have wrote them to each other when we buried this thing." Max pulled some pieces of paper ripped from a schoolbook out of the lunchbox-time capsule. 

"Ha ha ha, I remember these." Chloe mused. "To Chloe Price:" Chloe read. "Thanks Max!" Max giggled. "I hope you are having a lot of fun being a teenager with your best friend." Chloe continued reading. "Aw, you were so cute. Here have a look." Chloe walked over to Max and held the letter so she could see.

_"Maxine?"_ Max thought._ "Yuck. Can't believe I haven't used that name in like 7 years. And mom still calls me that."_ Max looked at the little bits of trivia she wrote down for her to remember years on. _"Science was Chloe's favourite subject..."_ Max let herself mull over the thought. _"Chloe actually enjoyed going to school at one point. And I fucked it all up. I fucked her up. And it's time I fix that."_ Max thought to herself. She shook her head, and then looked at the letter Chloe wrote for her. _"We go to the same school..."_ Max sighed. _"God. I am gonna have to tell her very soon. After this, though."_ Max finally finished the letter and spoke out loud. "You were really sweet."

"I was really goopy!" Chloe said, bumping Max's hip with her own.

"I like it. It's nice." 

"That's because you are a goop." Chloe was laughing it off, but Max could tell she was genuinely touched. "Max!" Chloe suddenly cried, grabbing a black book from the box. "Remember scratch art? Oh I love this stuff. Tell you what: I'm gonna sit over there, and do some drawing. You're not allowed to look until it's ready, okay?" 

"Heehee, okay." Max chuckled. "Goofball." Max turned around and examined the space. _"At least this gives me time to think."_ She started pacing around the kitchen, lounge and hallway. _"In a few minutes I'm going to break Chloe's heart. And then Joyce will come through the door, crying, and tell Chloe her father is never coming home. I know what happens when I try to save William, so I can't do that. I just have to make sure I don't abandon her like I did last time."_ She walked over to the kitchen counter and picked up a photo sitting next to the stove. _"Oh William, I'm so sorry."_ She sighed. _"You didn't deserve this. And neither did your family. I'm going to make sure Chloe's safe."_ She could almost hear William's laugh echo through her brain. She sighed again. She went out into the hallway and saw the answering machine. She sighed. _"You have caused so many problems for Chloe, but, I'm afraid I can't mess with that this time. In order for her to meet Rachel, she has to rebel a bit. But I don't want her getting expelled. I'll just leave it. She'll be fine."_ She walked back out into the lounge, seeing Chloe enthusiastically drawing away on her black piece of paper. Chloe looked up, and seeing Max, immediately withdrew her work into her chest so Max couldn't see. Max just rolled her eyes. She looked at the door to the garage, remembering the many times she searched through David's shit and finding the surveillance monitor. She shuddered. She chose not to go in, afraid that seeing how different it was would make her cry. She grabbed the photo album off the shelf and flicked through. "Damn." She chuckled to herself upon seeing a photo of a very young Chloe jumping on the couch wearing a cap that was far too big for her. _"I wonder if I could recreate this photo with Chloe?"_ She put the album back in its place and looked at Chloe. On the coffee table there lay a hat perfect for the photo. She went to grab it, then stopped. _"Oh my God... that's William's cap..."_ She shuddered, remembering that he had only just grabbed his keys from under there two hours ago, sealing his fate. She shook off the thought and grabbed the cap. "Pose for a photo-op?" She said out loud to her best friend. 

"I guess if you REALLY want, I'll PRISE myself away from my MASTERPIECE just for you." Chloe said dryly.

"Oh piss off." Max laughed. She handed Chloe the hat, who immediately grabbed it and put it on her head, such that her eyes were covered. Per Max's instructions, Chloe sprawled herself out on the couch so that one leg was in the air and her arms were outstretched, doing jazz hands. She was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Now stay still!" Max admonished. Chloe managed to sit still long enough for Max to take a good photo. "Alright. I'll take my masterpiece and leave you to yours. Yell to me when it's done." 

"Oh you know I will." Chloe winked, putting the cap back on the table. Max walked over to the fireplace and sighed.

_"Hello little snow doe."_ Max thought. She imagined herself beaming her thoughts into the doe so it may respond to her. She chuckled. _"Unfortunately, telepathy doesn't seem to be a part of my power. Speaking of..."_ She looked out the window to see a bluejay fly past. She held out her right hand and..._ "Nothing. I didn't feel anything that time."_ She couldn't tell if she had in fact lost her power, or travelling that far back and into her younger self had simply sapped her power for the time being. _"Hoping it's the latter." _ She looked down into the fireplace, replaying the memory of the photo burning in her head. She didn't have to burn it to stop herself this time. She knew better. She quickly examined all the stuff that had been boxed away, looking for a distraction while Chloe worked, but everything just made her sad. She decided instead to sit next to Chloe while she worked. "Scooch over a bit." Chloe moved her legs briefly so Max could sit down, and then rested them on top of Max's lap, letting them drape over her. Max smiled. _"Yeah. That's nice."_ She thought to herself. She missed the intimacy between her and Chloe. She resisted the urge to start rubbing Chloe's leg, because she might find it weird. Max realised they weren't gonna be this close for another 5 years, and if that's what it took before the girl named Chloe Price would fall in love with her? So be it. But her doubts swirled around in her head again. She knew Chloe was gonna be completely destroyed today, so she decided she was gonna be completely transparent. "Chloe, I-"

"FINISHED!" Chloe interrupted. She was so excited about her drawing she didn't even realise she interrupted Max. Max let it slide. "Here, look!" Chloe turned the piece of black paper around to reveal a colourful outline of a girl holding a cat. "It's Max and Bongo!" 

Max smiled. She obviously remembered the drawing - after all who could forget - but she decided to feign the emotions she felt in the original timeline. "Chloe... I..." She put her hand over heart, trying her best to look touched. "You were really drawing me this whole time? I don't know what to say..."

"Woah, mushiness alert." Chloe said, standing up as Max did the same. Chloe put her hands on Max's shoulders tenderly. "Keep it together, Max."

Max couldn't bear it anymore. Tears started forming in her eyes. "Chloe..."

"Woah, Max. It's just a drawing. I'm not sure why the waterworks are necessary." Chloe chuckled nervously, concern mixing with awkwardness. 

"Chloe... I... I have to tell you something." Max finally said, pointing to the couch. "And this time, I'm going to tell you everything." Max sat down, and Chloe did the same. "Okay. So. From now on, no more lies between us. Alright?"

"Okay..." Chloe was becoming more and more concerned.

"I mean it. Nobody lies, no exceptions."

"What the hell are you trying to say, Max?"

"I need you to trust me, no matter what, okay? You'll understand eventually." 

"Max, you know I trust you. That'll never change. Just tell me, okay?" 

"I guess I'll start with the most relevant... and most believable." Max swallowed. "I'm leaving... for Seattle... Very soon. Like, a few days from now." Max looked deep into Chloe's jade eyes. She looked sad, but her body language indicated to Max that she may continue. "For good. My dad got a job there and... I probably won't see you for a very long time." 

"A day without you is too long, Maximus." 

"I feel the same, but... that's not all of it." Max fought back her tears hard, to no avail. "There will come a time, a few years down the track perhaps, that you will meet someone you really like. Someone you really care about. That someone might become a best friend, or even a lover." Max tried her best not to namedrop Rachel, but drop as many clues as she could. "That person might ask you to do something for her. To take a leap of faith - to do something very daring. And in that moment, I want you to do it. Whatever the cost. Even if it means forgetting me entirely."

"That's too high a price." Chloe wasn't directly shutting her down, but Max knew she wouldn't budge.

"I mean it." Max responded harshly. "You know I'll move on eventually, and I know that you won't. That's how we operate. I'll make a new best friend, you'll make a best friend, and someday all 4 of us will meet together. And we'll all have fun, right?"

Chloe looked unsure. As usual, she was putting Max's feelings above her own. "I don't know what the hell kinda drugs you're on, but I do know one thing: I already know you're leaving." 

It started to make Max feel guilty, knowing that nothing Chloe can say will surprise her. She still tried her best to act shocked. "You do? How?"

"Our parents do talk, you know. And my parents... well... they're not exactly good at staying quiet about things."

Max put her head in her hands. "Oh God. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you earlier, Chloe." 

"It's fine. I know how difficult that must be. To tell your best friend that you're leaving her." 

"Yes but I've known for weeks! I've been a complete and utter coward, Chloe. You don't deserve a coward as a best friend."

"Don't say that, you're Max Caulfield. You're the best person I know." 

"I'm still a coward. You deserve a stronger and braver person to be your friend." Max said. "Someone better than me. I'm not going to be there for you anymore. I can do my best from Seattle, sending you letters and photos, but I really can't do much." Max grasped Chloe's hands and held them in her own. "I need you to promise me that you will move on. That you will find a new best friend. I want you to promise me that you will be happy. If not for yourself, do it for me. Okay?" Max looked at the front door for just a moment.

"Okay. You're being really weird about this, but I promise." Chloe said, slowly letting go of Max's hands. "I'm glad you eventually mustered the courage to tell me. Even if it took weeks." Chloe smiled, trying her best to reassure Max. 

  
"I love you, Chloe. Never forget that." Max smiled.

"Okay. That's a bit much." Chloe giggled nervously. She saw Max's face fall slightly, so she said, "I love you too, Max. I'll see you in a few years, for sure." Chloe hugged Max, who squeezed her in return. Max heard the click of the front door, and her heart sunk. 

"Mom? What's going on?" Chloe asked. 

Joyce Price walked in, tears streaming down her face. Chloe was scared. She had never seen her mother like this. She quickly glanced at Max, who looked down at the floor, rubbing her elbow. 

Joyce cleared her throat and leaned down to embrace her daughter. "Chloe... I'm sorry. It's your father. I'm... I'm afraid he's not coming home." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not even Max can save everyone.


	3. Parental Animosity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max is stuck fighting tooth and nail in order to stay in Arcadia Bay, much to the anger of her parents. In the end, her parents force her to make a choice.

The sunny day didn't reflect the general mood of the funeral. Max felt just as upset and empty as she did in the original timeline. It may have been the beginning of October, but the Oregon sun thought otherwise. The sun shone through the Autumn breeze, and everyone was wearing light clothes. Like any other generic Christian funeral, everyone was wearing formal black clothes. Max couldn't tell if she was dreaming or had just been woken up from one. As far as she was aware, time seemed to be passing by normally, no strange jumps as a result of her power. Nothing supernatural either - such as unscheduled eclipses or freak snowstorms. She hadn't tried to use her power yet, and she wasn't exactly going to test it now. She looked at the coffin that housed the body of her best friend's late father. It was a beautiful bright mahogany - only the best for William. She remembered all the good times they had together - across all timelines. She let the tears out. She wasn't afraid of crying at a funeral. She glanced at the two women next to her. Joyce and Chloe Price. Her best friend and her second mother. Max saw Chloe silently decline her mother's offer of an embrace, making her heart sink. Already their relationship was splitting apart. Max didn't expect Chloe to realise Joyce needed Chloe as much as Chloe needed Joyce at this stage, she was only young. But now they both needed Max. More than ever. The Prices felt more like a family than her parents did sometimes - as good as they were. Her parents weren't really... there all that often. They didn't really take the time to understand Max, especially with her relationship with Chloe. Max scowled to herself. Her parents had an air of classism when it came to the Prices. Max didn't know why- the Prices were good people, no matter how much William accidentally swore in their presence, or Joyce's simple diner job. Max loved them all, and they didn't deserve what was happening to them. She wanted to scream. Her parents had decided that today was the day they would move. The day of the fucking funeral! In the previous timeline Max just... let it happen. Just vanished on Chloe, catalysing the beginning of her end. Max wasn't gonna let that happen this time.

"Come on Max. Time to get in the car." Ryan Caulfield smiled lovingly at his daughter, a smile Max did not return. 

"I'm not leaving."

"Come on now, Maxine." Vanessa crooned. Max hated that name. "I know this is difficult for you, it's difficult for all of us. But we really need to leave now."

Max decided to play the part of the child and stomped her foot on the ground. "No. My best friend just lost her father. She's not losing me." 

"I understand that, but-" 

"No mom, I don't think you do." Max replied with as much scorn as possible. Her mother looked taken aback, and her father flashed a face of anger at her very briefly, before smiling.

"Max." Ryan knelt down to his daughter's height. "I start this job next week. If you don't come now, then we'll just have to move without you." 

Max did her best to look brave and fight back the tears that were beginning to form. She couldn't believe her own father was making her choose between her parents or her distraught, grieving friend. She looked her father dead in the eye, and with as much certainty and courage she could muster, said firmly, "If that's what it takes. I'll see you in a week." She quickly swiveled on her feet, and walked back to embrace her best friend, who accepted it lovingly. In the distance, Max could hear Vanessa start to cry.

"Max?" Chloe spoke for the first time in a couple hours. 

Max looked up at her best friend and smiled. "I'm here. I'm here, Chloe." She let Chloe's head rest on her shoulder and Chloe burst into tears, gripping Max's shirt. Max looked up at Joyce and smiled.

"Max..." Ryan started to say.

"Leave it Ryan. She's made her choice." Vanessa sobbed, making a concerted effort to guilt-trip Max.

"No." Ryan said to his wife before turning back to her daughter. "I think you made the right choice. We've been... awfully selfish and it's remarkable to see how much you've grown up. I admire you, my darling daughter." He leaned in and hugged Max and Chloe in his large arms. "Here's some cash for the bus and some food." He handed Max a $50 note. "We'll see you in a week's time. Have fun with Chloe." He turned to Joyce. "We'll send you some money when we arrive. Just tell us if you need anything at all."

"I think letting Max stay with Chloe is gift enough." Joyce replied. "Thank you, Ryan. Have a safe trip and, I guess we'll see you when we next see you." Joyce smiled.

"I hope it's soon." Ryan Caulfield hugged Joyce Price, and then walked back over to his wife. He got into the car, which was packed with things, and drove off. 

"I hope your mom's not too pissed about this." Chloe chuckled slightly, finally breaking the embrace. She looked up at her mom in fear of trouble, but Joyce didn't seem to be in the mood to care. Or maybe she was just being nice. 

"No, she'll just be crying for about an hour or so. Once they've settled down at Seattle she'll understand."

"Your father is a lovely and caring man, Max. You are lucky to have him." Joyce ruffled Max's hair. 

"I think seeing me stand up to him and Mom like that made him realise how wrong he was." Max said.

"I wouldn't say wrong..." Joyce tried to reply.

"No. He was." Max looked Joyce right in the eye. "If my dad died in a horrible car accident and YOU were moving in three days time to Seattle for a new job, you would let Chloe stay with me in a heartbeat. I know it."

"You're goddamn right I would." Joyce smiled. "You've really grown up in this past year, haven't you?"

_"More than you could ever now, Joyce Price."_ Max thought to herself. "Hey Joyce..."

"Yes Max?"

"Do you think when we go home, Chloe and I can play some video games together? Please?"

"Since you asked so nicely." Joyce said. "And we can order some pizza. I'm not in the mood to cook tonight and I think we all need a distraction." 

"These last few days have been absolute hell." Chloe said. Chloe grabbed Max's hand and held it as they walked to Joyce's car.

"I'll let that one slide considering the circumstances. But no more swearing from now on, please." Joyce said patiently. 

"Sorry, mom." Chloe mumbled. Max wondered if Chloe was still going to rebel. The key was for Joyce to meet David Madsen, which, if Chloe goes wayward enough, will create a tense relationship between them, enough for Chloe to rebel and befriend Rachel. "God, everything feels so convoluted. Everything has to be so particular in order to get the 'perfect' ending." Max thought. She knew Chloe was going to go through hell in the next 5 years, but it'll all be worth it. She hoped. 

"This past week has been hella awful." Max sighed.

"You too, Max?" Joyce looked surprised. "God, Chloe is even worse an influence on you than I thought. I'm starting to get second thoughts on the video games thing." Joyce said, but she was winking. Max laughed.

"I'm sorry Joyce."

"Mmhmm. Now come on in, it's a long ride back home." Joyce opened the back seat of her small car and the girls got in. She turned the car on, and immediately country music began blasting through the radio. "Oh for the love of-"

"Mom, don't." Chloe said, before her mother could turn it off. "I-I wanna listen." 

"Ok honey." Joyce smiled in the rear-view mirror. She turned the volume down a little so she could focus, but loud enough for Chloe to hear. 

"Burning the midnight oil again." Chloe started singing along to the song on the radio. "Sitting out here listening to the wind... I just called to tell you that I miss you my old friend..."

Max only found out about this song in the future, but for now she pretended she knew the lyrics already. For Chloe's sake, she decided to sing along. "Burning the midnight oil again..." 

"Last year we bought a house outside of Boulder" Chloe pretended to put on a gruff voice while she sang to imitate the male singer. Max giggled.

"You know how Kathy always missed that rock mountain sky." Chloe and Max sang together. 

"This one was one of dad's favourites." Chloe said, a tear forming in her eye. 

"Was it?" Joyce asked. "I'm glad you have that memory of him. It's just like William to leave us with happy memories." 

"He wouldn't have wanted us sad after the funeral. He would want us to enjoy ourselves." Max said.

"And that's exactly what we'll do, right girls?" 

"Yeah." Chloe smiled, but she looked unsure. She looked like she was going to cry again. Max grabbed her hand and rejoined in the singing.

"Burning the midnight oil again..."

"Sitting out here listening to the wind." Chloe mimed chugging a bottle of alcohol and Max laughed.

I just called to tell you that I miss you my old friend, burning the midnight oil again!" Max and Chloe looked at each other briefly before raising their hands in the air. 

Joyce chuckled lightly. "You kids are priceless." She turned the radio off. "I'm glad you're here, Max. You're making this so much easier for both of us."

Max smiled. She was glad she was doing something right, for a change. The rest of the car ride was driven in silence. Every so often Max would physically comfort Chloe in some way, and they never let go of each other's hands the whole way. 


	4. The 5 Stages of Grief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max has to sit and watch as her best friend goes through absolute hell. The loss of her father has taken a massive toll on Chloe, and it's up to Max to make sure Chloe is alright.
> 
> But Chloe has never made anything easy

_ Denial. _

Said to be the first stage of grief and the most frustrating one to deal with. Max loved Chloe, dearly. She knew she had to do whatever it takes to make sure Chloe was alright during what is perhaps her darkest hour so far. In the coming days after the funeral, Chloe had been incredibly distraught. Max could only watch as her best friend seemed to fall apart at the seams, every day. Most nights Chloe would wake up in the middle of the night screaming for William - and Joyce would come running. After the second night Max told Joyce to just stay in bed/downstairs. 

"We're in the same room, anyway. I can look after her." Max had said to Joyce. 

"You truly are incredible, Max." Joyce sighed. Max found it saddening that out of all the emotions Joyce could exhibit after losing her husband, exhaustion was the most frequent. Having to work double-time at the diner to make up for the halved income and funeral costs, not to mention the emotional labour, has sapped Joyce so much she doesn't have the energy to emote. Her bastard boss denied her bereavement leave for that week, and Max tried to persuade Joyce to sue, but she didn't have the energy to do that, either. 

"DAD!" Chloe cried, sitting bolt upright in her bed, drenched in sweat. Max was already lying awake next to her, looking at the ceiling. This was the fourth morning after the funeral. Max's bus left in another four days. Max looked at the clock and saw that it read 3am. 

"Shit." She mumbled to herself. She sat up and hugged Chloe. "Hey hey, it's alright. I'm here." She rubbed Chloe's shoulder with one hand and spoke in soothing tones. "Another nightmare."

"God. This one felt so real." Chloe looked utterly terrified. "I saw him, Max. I swear I saw him." 

"I know, Chloe. But it's a dream. It's not real." 

"I want my dad." Chloe started crying. 

Max didn't bother replying. She just had to let Chloe let it out. It was a Sisyphean climb - trying to convince Chloe not to chase after her deceased father. She just continued to soothe Chloe with as much physical affection as she felt appropriate. 

"Where's mom?" Chloe asked.

"She's asleep. But I'm here, Chloe." 

"Thank you, Max." Chloe sniffed. "I'm sorry I haven't exactly been level-headed lately." She smiled weakly. "You're such a trooper. Going through all of this and looking after my pathetic ass."

"Chloe Price, there are a lot of words that describe you, but pathetic is not one of them." Max turned to face Chloe directly. "You just lost your father in a sudden and horrible accident. The fact that you are still standing here proves that you are the strongest person I know."

"I'm so selfish. My mom is working through so much, and here I am - making her wait on me hand and foot."

"Chloe, you are her CHILD. That's her job. And she knows you care about her." Max wiped a tear away from Chloe's eye. "Remember yesterday morning? You made her breakfast in bed. She looked so grateful." 

"Oh come on, Max." Chloe said. "You did most of it."

"We did it together." Max said. Max stroked Chloe's face gently. Under any other circumstances, Chloe would have rejected the gesture. But it seems Chloe needed the affection. Chloe grabbed Max's hand and held it. 

"Thank you, Max. I feel a lot better now."

"Let's get back to sleep. And if you get nightmares, I'll be your personal teddy bear." Max laid back down, and snuggled up to Chloe very closely.

"Haha, shut up!" Chloe laughed. But Max was already asleep. _"She really just dropped like a stone, huh?"_ Chloe thought to herself. _"How long had she been awake for? Was I talking in my sleep during my nightmare?"_ Questions kept bubbling around in Chloe's mind, but Chloe was too tired to answer any of them. _"I wish mom was here."_ Was Chloe's last thought before she fell asleep.

*

Max woke up to the sound of plates crashing downstairs. _"Uh oh."_ She thought. She quickly but groggily got up and reached for her cellphone, then remembered she didn't have one. _"Right."_ She thought. _"My parents get me one for Christmas this year."_ She looked at Chloe's alarm clock for the time, which read 10am. "Shit." She quickly put on yesterday's clothes and headed downstairs.

"Chloe, all I asked you to do is put the dishes away!" Joyce said, exasperated. 

"And I said let Max have food first! You don't fucking care for anyone but yourself!" Chloe screamed. 

"Christ." Max mumbled to herself. She stopped and sat down on the stairs, listening in. 

"Chloe, I do care. I'm grieving just like you are. But unlike you I don't get the time to grieve." Joyce sounded serious and it was clear she was trying to hide how hurt she was by Chloe's words. "I still have to work my ass off at the diner, and then come home and work my ass off for this house, and for you and Max." 

"Real hypocritical, Mom. So you do get to swear when you're angry but I don't!?" Chloe cried.

"Don't you DARE turn this on me, young lady."

"You do it all the fucking time to me!"

"Don't you dare talk to your mother like that, missy. I'm trying so hard to look after you and you haven't done jack dung for me." Joyce rubbed her temples as she leaned up against the kitchen bench. "All I ask is that you put the dishes away without throwing them down on the table and calm down." 

"Ugh I'm so sick of you! You don't get it. You don't get ME. I'm leaving." Chloe stomped out into the hallway and up the stairs.

"CHLOE YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW OR-" Joyce shouted before cutting herself off. She sighed. "Goddamn it." 

"Some help you were, Super-Max." Chloe said with as much sarcasm as she could muster as she stomped up the stairs, slamming her bedroom door behind her. 

_ Anger. _

Even though Chloe was being unreasonable, Max still felt guilty. She slowly got up and walked down the stairs to Joyce, who was now crying. "Morning, Joyce." Max mumbled.

"Oh. Morning Max." Joyce dropped her hands by her sides and looked at Max. "How are you doing? Did you sleep well?"

"Chloe had another nightmare. But at least she went down easy. After that I was out like a light." Max smiled, trying her best to comfort Joyce after what must have been a rather traumatic argument. For both of them. 

"That's good to hear." Joyce sighed. She picked up the plates stacked on the dining room table and put them next to the sink. "It's been so hard, Max. Thank God you're here. You're making it a hell of a lot easier for me."

"Yeah but unfortunately Chloe loves to use my presence as an excuse."

"Max, Chloe will always find an excuse. I take it you heard our... outburst." 

"A little bit, yeah. The plates woke up."

"God the goddamn plates-" Joyce shook her head. "Come sit down, Max." 

Max walked over to the couch and sat down next to Joyce. She cuddled up underneath Joyce's arm and rested her head on Joyce's shoulder. 

"Answer me honestly, Joyce. Are you doing okay?" Max looked Joyce right in her eyes. Joyce turned away.

"No, Max. I'm feeling like pure shit." Joyce chuckled sarcastically. "Chloe was right. I am a hypocrite."

Max chuckled. "Not at all. Chloe had no right to treat you like that. You only asked her to do one simple task."

"As usual, Max, timing is not on my side." Joyce sighed. "At that point she needed me to talk to her - and I didn't. I was just too exasperated with everything I have to do." 

"Maybe Chloe should be sitting here instead of me." Max says.

"After she's destroyed everything in her room." Joyce smiled. 

"I'm surprised she hasn't blasted loud punk music from her stereo yet." Max laughed. 

"God that would be the day." Joyce's face dropped. "Max, I'm glad you're here. Really. You're not just making this easier for Chloe, but you're also making it easier for me." Joyce kissed Max on the forehead. "Thank you, Max. Just for being here. I'll talk to Chloe once she's fully calmed down. In the meantime, why don't you go talk to her? She'll listen to you before she listens to me." 

"Okay. Thanks Joyce." 

"No, Max. Thank you." 

Max got up off the couch and smiled at Joyce. Joyce grabbed the remote control and switched on the TV, and an infomercial started playing. Max slowly walked upstairs, stopping outside Chloe's bedroom. She expected there to be crashing, banging, and screaming. But instead there was dead silence. She hesitated. She went into the bathroom. She turned on the tap and let it run as she looked at herself in the mirror. She had serious bags under her eyes. 

"I don't look 13. And I sure as hell don't feel it. I feel a hell of a lot older than 18 as well." After a few seconds of thinking, Max remembered the tap was still going, and quickly washed her face. She dried her face and stopped. She looked at the towel she used closely. "That's Chloe's pirate towel." She sighed. "Only last week we were playing pirates in the backyard. But it feels like an eternity. For various reasons." Max laughed. She looked at Chloe's bedroom door, and noted the stillness she could feel inside. She sighed again. She walked over to the door and grabbed the knob. With her other hand, Max knocked on the door.

Silence.

"It's me, Chloe."

More silence.

"Are you okay, Chloe? I-I can come ba-"

"Come in, Max." Came the saddest voice Max had ever heard. 

Max gently opened the door. "Hey Chloe."

"Hey Max." 

The room felt dead. Windows and curtains were all closed - a small patch of sun streamed through the curtains beside her bed, leaving a faint glow on Chloe's face. She was lying down on her side, her head facing the height chart on the wall. The entire height chart was harshly scribbled over. Chloe was staring at it intently, a sense of regret in her eyes. 

_"First sign of rebellion."_ Max sighed internally. _"Necessary evil."_ Max walked over to the bed and sat next to Chloe. "How are you doing, Chloe?"

"How do you think?" Chloe said without looking up. 

Max looked away, guiltily, and said nothing. 

"Sorry, Max. That was rude. I've just been feeling like shit today."

"I don't blame you." Max rubbed Chloe's leg. 

"Thanks Max. To be honest, I'm feeling awful." 

"No kidding." 

"I shouldn't have yelled at Mom like that. It's not her fault. She's hurting just like me." Chloe puts her hands over her face and starts crying. "God I'm so pathetic."

"No you're not." 

"Max, while I appreciate you trying to make me feel good, please just let me vent."

"Sorry." 

"Is Mom mad at me?"

"Not really. She mostly just feels bad. When you're ready, she's downstairs waiting to talk to you."

"Ok. But she should be mad." Chloe sighed. "I shouldn't have yelled at her. If only I wasn't such an idiot."

_"Oh no."_ Max thought to herself.

"If only I persuaded Dad to stay." Chloe starts crying. "If only Mom had just taken the fucking bus. This isn't fair, Max! I should have done something - I _could_ have done something!" 

"Chloe, there was nothing that could be done. It wasn't his fault, and it certainly wasn't yours - or Joyce's."

"I know, Max. If I could just... turn back time. For even one second."

"I know."

"If I had the ability to control time, Max, I'd get everything I'd ever want." 

_Bargaining._

"For one thing, I could stop you from leaving. Just like Dad." 

Max had nothing to say to that. She knew she had the power to stay with Chloe as long as she wanted, but her departure was for Chloe's own good. No need for Rachel Amber if Max is still around. "Your mom's waiting for you downstairs. I'm glad you're so understanding." Max hesitated. "I'm... glad that you're my friend, Chloe."

"I'm glad, too." Chloe said, finally taking a brief second to look away from the height chart to look at Max. "Thanks for talking to me." 

Max smiled at Chloe briefly, before turning and exiting the bedroom. She closed the door behind her and slumped down onto the floor. "Christ." She mumbled. "This is the state I leave in her in. Two days from now. In two days my bus leaves for Seattle and I won't see her for five years." She took a deep breath in and out. "Something smells good." She got up and walked down the stairs. 

"I made lunch." Joyce said, turning her head towards Max. "Nothing good on TV." Joyce smiled. "How is she?"

"She... needs some time. She's mostly just feeling sorry herself." Max smiled. "Smells amazing." 

"Thank you, Max." She took the pot off the boil and got two bowls from a kitchen drawer. "Come have some soup. We can always reheat it when Chloe comes down."

* 

Hours had passed, and Chloe still hadn't left her room. After they had their lunch, Max thanked Joyce and helped her clean, before sitting on the couch waiting. And waiting. She didn't want to intrude on Chloe's personal space, but she got so sick of waiting on the couch doing nothing that she did some wandering. Occasionally she'd keep going back to the photo album and flicking through it - mostly glancing at photos of herself with Chloe, or of William. When the clock struck 4, she started getting concerned. Neither Max nor Joyce had heard anything from Chloe's bedroom, and neither dared to enter. By dinnertime, she still had not budged. Joyce called out from downstairs, but no response. Max went up and while she didn't want to go in, she called from outside her door.

"Chloe! It's dinnertime!" 

No response.

"Please eat something, Chloe. Joyce made your favourite." 

"Save some for me." Chloe said after a long period of silence.

Max felt satisfied. She figured that would be the best response she would realistically get. She walked back down the stairs with a smile on her face. 

"She's coming?" Joyce looked surprised. 

"No, but she will eat." Max's face fell as she realised what she just said.

_Depression._

About an hour later, Max walked upstairs with a plate of reheated spaghetti and knocked on the door.

"Come in." 

Max came in and presented the plate of spaghetti.

"God you're amazing, Max." 

"Don't thank me, your mom made this masterpiece." 

"I will thank her, yes. And I still need to apologise." Chloe sat up and accepted the food graciously. "God I feel like I haven't eaten all day."

"You haven't eaten all day."

Chloe froze. "I guess that's true haha." She sounded nervous. "To be honest, I probably deserve it."

"Don't say that. Don't you dare say that." 

"It's true though!" Chloe sighed. "Look, I don't want to argue with you, so I won't." Chloe put her plate down and turned to face Max. She only had taken a few bites. 

"Okay, Chloe. Let's agree to disagree."

"That sounds like a good idea." Chloe yawned. "God I feel awful." 

"You haven't left your room all day."

"Not true."

"Apart from toilet breaks."

No answer. 

"Eat up, Chloe. Your mom is still waiting for you downstairs."

"Maybe later. Best if you head down now. No offense." Chloe smiled at Max before reassuming her position lying down staring at the vandalised height chart. 

"None taken." Max said sadly. 

That night when Max went to bed, Chloe still hadn't talked to her mother. Max was worried, but Joyce was mostly hurt. When Max came in at 9:00, Chloe was already asleep, still in the pajamas she was wearing that morning. Max looked at the plate of spaghetti. It was still only half-eaten, but at least Chloe had eaten some more. It took over an hour, but Max finally went to sleep. 

* 

"Morning Max." 

Max groaned and rubbed her eyes. She looked at the girl in the bed next to her. "Chloe..."

"That's my name." 

Max was bewildered. Chloe was... smiling? "Good Morning, Chloe." 

"Today's the big day, huh?"

"Yeah I guess, huh." Max felt odd. Chloe was acting so strangely. She should be devastated. Yet Max seemed to feel the most upset. 

"I can tell you're expecting me to cry and scream for you to stay."

"Half-expecting it, yeah." 

"On any other day, I would." Chloe nodded. "But... I've learned my lesson. No use in crying about it or getting into screaming matches with my last surviving parent." 

"That's very mature of you, Chloe." Max laughed. She sighed. "Who knows? In about 5 years, I might come back. We'll hang out like we never left." 

"Do hard drugs, date hot boys..." 

"Ha! You wish." 

Silence. 

"You'll write, right?" Chloe asked, genuine fear in her eyes.

"Of course." Max said. "I'm not abandoning you. I'd never do that to you, Chloe."

"I know. And that's why you're Super-Max." Chloe laughed and hugged her best friend.

"Goodbye, Chloe."

"Goodbye, Max."

_Acceptance. _


	5. Life Won't Wait For You To Play Catch-Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Communication is key to a good relationship.
> 
> Right?

"Hey Max, how you been? Haven't heard from you in a while. Please text me back." Chloe furiously tapped out the words on her phone and hit send. She sighed and throw her phone against the bed and fell face down onto her pillow. Her phone bounced off the bed and fell on her head. "Ow!" She cried. Trying her hardest not to throw her phone against the wall and smash it to pieces, she picked it up and placed it carefully on the bed next to her. "Oh where are you Max? I need you." Chloe could feel tears forming in her eyes._ "Goddamnit. You use to be so good at this. Texting every day to see if I was okay. Now you've just... vanished. Without a trace."_ It had been two months since Max stopped texting Chloe. Shortly before Chloe's 16th birthday, Max messaged Chloe to say she was going on a trip so she'd have no service for a few days, and then nothing. Complete radio silence. _"Some fucking camping trip you must be on if you're gone for two months."_ Chloe scowled. She had made an effort to message Max when she turned 14, and Max couldn't even reciprocate for what would have been an incredibly special birthday. 'Sweet 16' as they say. "Pathetic." Chloe mumbled. She looked at the time and saw that it was 2pm. "Gotta skedaddle fast if I want to avoid a lecture from Mom." She huffed. She didn't want Joyce to know that she'd skipped school again. She laughed as she imagined the conversation playing out in her head. 

_"Chloe, you can't keep skipping school like this. I'm paying for your tuition with tips."_

_"Oh come on, Mom. It's only the second time this week."_

_"Chloe, it's Tuesday."_

_"Oh! Haha. Didn't realise. You tend to lose sense of the passage of time when you don't go to school for over a week."_

_"You WHAT!?" _

Chloe felt bad. She didn't want to hurt her mother but school sucked and she valued her happiness above her education. She was a straight-A student only last year! She had done her duties as a 'good kid' - and she wasn't learning anything at school anyway - except how much she hates authority. And rich people. But she always hated rich people. Especially if their last names began with a P and ended in rescott. She quickly got up and checked her laptop, which was open to a internet forum. "The Dark Web" as Max would put it. "Ooo! An update!" She clicked the link to the new headline.

"CONFIRMED: FIREWALK TO PERFORM AT THE MERRICK MILL THURSDAY MAY 6TH 9PM!"

"FUCK YES!" Chloe whooped and punched the air. She had a quick scroll through the comments to see what kind of crowd would be attending. Nothing unusual, apart from a comment by a new user she hadn't seen before. "dramaqueen072294? Who the hell is that?"

"Not even Daddy can stop me from going to this!" The comment read.

"Freakin' weirdo." Chloe mumbled. "Well my daddy definitely can't stop me either." She exhaled loudly. She quickly put on a hoodie and climbed out through her open window before shutting it behind her. She laughed as she slid down the roof and landed on the concrete. Her feet hurt from the landing, but she'd gotten use to it by now. "Time to go tag some shit!"

*

Max felt awful. She couldn't find any other way to catalyse Chloe meeting Rachel. Her plan was simple: Vanish for two months with complete radio silence shortly before Chloe's birthday, and wait to hear about the bush fire on the news that would occur roughly two months later. But she hated it. _"Another goddamn empty promise."_ Max had told herself. She never was going on that camping trip like Chloe thought, she had simply texted that from her bedroom and had her phone off for the next couple days. She knew Chloe and Rachel were connected to the bush fire. Chloe had told her herself - or rather, WOULD tell her several years afterwards. God time was confusing. What she thought happened last week actually hasn't happened yet, and what happened years ago only occurred last week. Chloe had blown up her phone in desperation for attention, and Max had no choice but to not reply. It broke her heart, but she had to. She flopped onto her bed and pressed her face firmly into the pillow. _“It’s only two months. After that I will be good. Everything will be back to normal.”_ Cursing herself for perhaps another empty promise, she burst into tears.

*

Chloe loved train tracks. Always did. Even as a kid - running up and down the railway with her Dad on their weekend walks. She felt like they were a symbol, speaking to her. They resembled a journey, a journey through the great unknown - far away from everything she knew. Far away from everything she loved, and far away from everything she hated. So when she stood on the railway tracks, in the dead of night, eagerly waiting to take the next step of her journey, she had never felt more at peace. She took a long drag from her cigarette and coughed. She picked smoking up about two weeks ago - a way of filling in the void that Max Caulfield had left behind. A horn in the distance blared as the lights came closer. She laughed. Danger was an odd concept to Chloe Price, it never seemed to phase her. In fact, she was sure it was the one thing keeping her alive. The train's brakes screeched as it approached her. Chloe, with only a few milliseconds before she would have gotten flattened, jumped out of harms way. 

_"I can't believe Firewalk is playing a show at the old mill, fuck yes!"_ She thought to herself eagerly. It was 9pm, and only just starting to get dark. She liked that, it was the one good thing about summer - the late warm nights when the sun had just gone down, oh, how blissful it was to her. She made her way quickly but carefully down the hill to a barbed wire fence, which she cleanly vaulted over, smirking as she landed. She saw an RV she recognised parked outside._ "Figured he'd be here."_ She saw two men she didn't know up against the RV arguing, one shoving the other repeatedly. Clearly someone owed someone money._ "Testosterone."_ She tutted to herself. _"Like, just fuck already."_ She looked around for a way in. A large cart, presumably for a train, was parked inside a large opening, blocking it. Didn't look like a clear opening into the mill anyway. She shook her head. She saw a bouncer with very large arms and way too many facial piercings guarding seemingly the only exit. _"If only I could climb onto this roof."_ She spotted a large camp fire in the middle of the opening. A deck chair was carefully placed in front of it, a good metre away. Clearly the owner of the RV had been relaxing there before. Chloe sat down on the rocks surrounding the campfire, which were keeping it from setting the whole forest ablaze. She sighed. _"Gotta get past that bouncer. I need to get establish my plan of attack."_ She looked at the bouncer. Too big for her to take down, even if she had a knife. He was hired well. The argument between the two men had ceased, but the weaker guy was crumpled on the ground, clutching his stomach. The other stood above him, facing away, and taking a long drag of his cigarette. Chloe chuckled quietly, resisting the urge to smoke herself. She looked around for anything that she could use as leverage against the bouncer. There were a large array of motorbikes (most of them black) all neatly lined up outside the mill. The one closest to the bouncer had a floral print on it. She chuckled. _"Got him."_ She walked up to the bouncer casually. The bouncer hold out a hand and shook his head. Clearly she wasn't just gonna waltz on in. She scowled.

"Dude you gotta let me in."

"Sorry kid, this is an 18+ event only. And you don't look like you got any ID." He spoke surprisingly softly, but as firmly as he needed to be. 

"Oh yeah? What makes you say that?" Chloe narrowed her eyes and spoke aggressively, hoping to spark up some anger within the bouncer.

"You look like you walked out of chemistry class just to get here." The bouncer replied snarkily. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"

_"Crap."_ Chloe thought to herself._ "How the hell did he manage to get my former best subject down that quickly?"_ She cracked her knuckles. _"Well if he can read me, I can read him."_ She cleared her throat and spoke loudly and confidently. "Isn't it past yours? A big guy look you probably takes too many day naps."

"What can I say? I got long night of dealing with punk shithead kids like you ahead of me."

"I'm getting in there."

"Oh really? You think you can take me?"

"Yeah easily, fat man." Chloe lied. She could clearly see it was muscle, but she wanted to rile him up.

"Oh I see how it is. What if I had a knife?" 

Chloe smirked. He was actually frightened of her. Either that or he legit didn't want to hurt her. She called his bluff. "Yeah, I'd still take you down. Easy."

"What, you got some kind of dumb luck attached to your bullshit?" He smiled. He was clearly enjoying the banter.

"Do you enjoy riding around on a bike with pretty pretty flowers all over it? Clearly that's a sign of how manly you are."

That struck a nerve. He pressed his finger firmly against her sternum. "Hey that's a traditional Samoan-" He stopped. He laughed and crossed his arms. "Damn. You got me. I like your spirit, kid. To be honest, I thought you were pretty cool from the beginning. That was you that played chicken with the train earlier, right?"

"Yeah?" Chloe's heart skipped a beat. She didn't think anyone was watching. 

"You got guts, kid. You can take any of these bastards in here." He looked around nervously before speaking to her, albeit a lot more quietly. "Tell you what, I'll let you in. But my boss technically decides who gets in..." He looks her up and down. "...and who doesn't. Stay out of trouble and you'll be fine."

"Sounds like you don't get paid enough." 

"You read me like a fucking book, kid." He smiled. 

"Fuck yes!" Chloe cheered to herself. "She walked in and was immediately hit with the unhealthy stench of sawdust, alcohol, and cigarette smoke. Bad combination. It fucking reeked. She saw a small, black pitbull sitting obediently next to its owner. She looked down at it. "Aw, so cute."

Hearing her voice, the dog started barking eagerly at her. "Hey settle down, Delia." The owner said gruffly. The dog immediately obeyed, but still stood, staring her down. The dog seemed oddly happy at her appearance. 

"Do you mind if I-?" Chloe asked the owner, pointing at the dog.

"Go ahead. But be careful, she can be aggressive." 

Chloe knelt down and pet the dog. "Naw so cute." She smiled. She always wanted a pet of her own - but after Bongo died, Joyce found out she was allergic to cats and they couldn't afford a dog. William was actually the most upset by the whole situation. When Chloe asked him if they could get a dog, he was ecstatic! But Joyce had to turn it down. "That's your mother, always being smart, as usual." She remembered him say. That was almost 10 years ago now. Chloe was still angry, but at least she understood. 

"Funny, she doesn't usually like people." The owner suddenly said, interrupting her daydream. 

Chloe stopped petting and stood up. "Heh. Me neither." She said quietly, before walking away. She felt a pang of sadness for a brief moment, struggling to shake it. She suddenly felt terrible for hurting her mother so much. She looked at her phone. Several missed calls and unanswered texts from her mom. She sighed deeply, exerting the energy to let one tear drop, before inhaling deeply and shaking herself off. She decided to text her. "I'll be back later tonight." When she hit send, she felt that wasn't enough. "I'm sorry. I love you." 

There was only a minute before Joyce replied, but it was the longest minute of Chloe's life. "Okay Chloe. I trust you. Stay safe, I love you too xxx" 

Chloe struggled hard to not burst into tears in front of all the hard-ass adult men. She looked around. There was a man attending the bar, two men were leaning up against it, drinking and having a very loud conversation. Chloe rolled her eyes and now found herself being back to her dismissive, apathetic self. To her right a car with it's trunk open sat perched on the edge of a steep driveway. She looked inside the trunk and saw T-shirts with the Firewalk brand on them. _"Oh fuck I have to get a T-shirt, those look sick!"_ She thought to herself. She reached in to get one, but her hand smacked away from a vendor that appeared out of nowhere.

"Uh uh uh, 20 bucks girl."

"Fucking rip-off." Chloe grumbled. She looked at the car, and saw that the passenger's door was open. "Hmm..." She smirked. The vendor was too busy yapping on the phone to see her walk up to the passenger door, lean in, and push the handbrake down. 

"W-woah!" The vendor cried, falling off the trunk of the car as it rolled down the driveway, almost taking out two men who were outside. The vendor rushed outside, hurriedly trying to apologise to the men, one of which was yelling at him. Chloe sneaked to the trunk and grabbed a t-shirt.

_"Yoink!"_ Chloe thought. She looked down at the cash box._ "Holy shit that's $200! Oh man."_ She bent down and stole everything from the box. _"That'll teach you to overprice your merch."_ She looked back at the dog, who was smiling and panting at her. She smirked. The wall above the dog was bore with red graffiti. "Don't mess with Damon Merrick?" She said out loud. "Who the hell is Damon Merrick?" She looked around, no-one was paying attention to her. She shrugged. She turned around and saw Frank Bowers sitting down on an old couch next to a set of stairs, drinking a beer and chilling, as usual.

"Hey Frank! It's me, Chloe, your favourite buyer." She smirked. 

"Yeah, I know who you are. You think I'd forget someone who owes me $70 worth of weed?" Frank snarled. 

"Chill dude, I got your money here." Chloe didn't feel like doping up tonight, so she just handed over $80 from the box she stole and left it at that.

"I'm not gonna ask where you got your money from." Frank said skeptically, handing over $10 change. Chloe liked that about Frank, asked no questions, and was always true to his word. "No bullshit." was his motto. "What are you even doing here?"

"So much for no questions." Chloe mumbled out loud.

"Fair point. I wanna know how you found about this concert, let alone this place." Frank was in interrogation mode again, which he only ever used when he was really concerned. Usually for his money.

"Duh, the internet, of course." Chloe replied snidely.

"Uch. You freakin' kids never stop, huh?" 

"I guess we don't." Chloe smiled.

"Yeah, that's why I'm freakin' rich." Frank smirked. "How you doin' anyway?"

"I'm alright. Excited to be here tonight. Yourself?"

"Happy now that you paid me. Still waiting on about $200 worth of payments. I'd ask if you knew any of these guys, but I don't wanna break confidentiality."

"Don't blame you."

"I value that above all else."

"Of course." Chloe was tired of this meaningless conversation. She looked at the stairs to her left, a few of them were rotted and broken. "Hey those stairs there. Do you know where they lead?"

"Uh... up?" 

"Real fucking smart Frank. I mean will I get a better view of the band?"

"I don't fuckin' know. All I know is that no-one goes up there. Boss's orders."

"You mean, Damon's orders? Right?"

"How the fuck did you know abou- Nope. Not even gonna ask." Frank held up his hands. "Yeah Damon's a long time... friend, of mine. He's my boss now. Nice dude, but don't get on his bad side." Frank sighed and took off his cap. "Plus the boards are rotted to hell. Any dancing up there and you'd fall straight through. If you're lucky you might use some people's bodies as cushion for your fall." 

"Alright, I get it, jeez." She looked at the entrance to the concert. Completely blocked. However, there was a saw hanging on the wall. _"Oooh... fresh for tagging!"_ She smirked. She walked over to the saw and took out her trusty black marker. _"Let's see... I got it!"_ Using the small circle in the middle as the pupil, she draw an eye on the saw. _"Staring right into my soul. Love that."_ She backed away to admire her handiwork more, and accidentally walked right into someone behind her. 

"You fucking spelled my beer, you bitch!" A lanky man in a white singlet snarled at her. 

_"Crap."_ Chloe thought to herself. "Oh shit um... sorry, my bad dude. Haha." She turned to face him and backed away nervously, desperately trying to find a way out. 

"This was my favourite fucking top. Nobody does that to me, got it?"

"Dude I'm sorry, okay? It's just a singlet anyway good lord."

"What the fuck did you just say to me!?" 

"Back off, dude." Frank called from the couch. "It was an accident. She said she was sorry." 

"Stay out of this, Frank. She spilled my fucking beer on my favourite fucking top."

"Oh for the love of God listen to yourself." Frank stood up.

_"Oh my God."_ Chloe thought, smiling.

"Dude do you think this is fucking funny?" A short guy standing next to the lanky guy said to her. 

"Actually, considering your friend's rather childish behaviour, I think it's fucking hilarious."

Frank snorted. He actually thought Chloe's quip was funny. That warmed Chloe's heart for some reason.

"Do you even know who I am? Stop disrespecting me, bitch."

"I don't know who you are, and I don't care either. I already said I was sorry, can you drop it?"

"Drop it, Sheldon. Being one of Merrick's fucking interrogators doesn't grant you entitlement to threaten kids for fucking up slightly. Now fuck off."

"Just cause you're one of Merrick's top sellers doesn't mean you get to fucking boss me around, Bitchers." Sheldon turned to face Frank, sneering. Chloe took that opportunity to bolt it and ran up the stairs.

"Just shut up, already. Christ." Frank sat back down on the couch. "Here, have another freakin' beer." He took a beer from a cooler next to him and threw it to Sheldon, who caught it.

"Fine."

_"YES! Thank you Frank Bowers!"_ Chloe cheered to herself. _"I finally made it."_ She clambered up the last steps and ran to the balcony. The band had periodically stopped, to re-tune for their next song. The drums came in, and Chloe found herself lost to the noise. 

About a minute later, Sheldon the dickhead made a grand reappearance. "Don't think because you got your boyfriend Frank to stand up for you doesn't mean you won't pay."

"Oh for the love of God I said I was sorry!"

"And another thing... you're not supposed to be up here. Bosses orders."

"You think I give a fuck what your daddy says? You shouldn't be up here either, asshole."

"You watch your mouth, girlie." Sheldon sneered.

"Don't you dare fucking call me girlie, dickwad."

"Woah ho! She thinks she can take you, man!" The manlet next to Sheldon said.

"Yeah? Well we'll see." He smashed his bottle against a wooden pillar next to him and charged. 

_"Oh crap."_ Chloe thought. _"I have nothing to defend myself with. Oh God... I'm so sorry Mom..."_

"Hey! Dickhead!" Came a familiar voice from behind Sheldon. 

"R-Rachel?" 

"GET DOWN, PRICE!" Rachel yelled, as she threw her bottle of beer as hard as she could, hitting Sheldon square in the forehead. "Run!" She cried.

Chloe kicked Sheldon right in the ass, shoving him to the floor, and then bolted. "Rachel that was so badass!"

"Come on!" Rachel grabbed Chloe's hand and made for the stairs. 

"Oh God, what now?" Frank said, awakening from his brief nap when he heard Chloe and Rachel down the stairs.

"Sheldon's gone fucking crazy! He tried to stab me with his bottle!" Chloe cried.

"What!?" Frank snarled and grabbed a knife from his pocket. "Run! I'll hold him!" 

"Get the fuck outta the way, Frank."

"I'm not letting you hurt my best customer. Calm the fuck down Sheldon!"

"She broke one of Merrick's rules." 

"What are you, a fucking narc? Chill the fuck out dude!"

"Yeah! Way to go Frank! Hahaha suck it bitcheeeeeees!" Chloe screamed as Rachel practically dragged her through the crowd to the front of the stage.

"Cause she waited all our lives." The lead singer of Firewalk sang into the mic as the guitarist went off.

_"Damn Rachel can dance."_ Chloe thought. Rachel was going absolutely ham. Her hands were up in the air and jumping up and down with such ferocity Chloe thought she was gonna knock the place down. Chloe found herself lost from the world again, but this time it wasn't just the music. _"Oh God." _

*

"So yeah. That's the story of how I met the girl named Rachel Amber." Chloe wrote down. She sighed, put her pen down and leaned back in her chair. Her therapists had recommended to her to write down her 'feelings' in a journal or whatever. Chloe had rolled her eyes at that of course, but she did like the journal idea. She used it to write letters to Max that'll never send. She inhaled deeply, taking in the morning breeze from her window. "We had such a good time. I can't remember what happened after the concert. I think we got drunk I don't know. Honestly I think I'm developing a bit of a crush, God. I hope I see her again. I hope I see you again. - Sincerely, Chloe the Rockstar escapee." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's come to my attention I completely forgot about the existence of Bongo, so I've edited this chapter so I could include him in. I don't want the hole to stay in place but it's also cowardly to pretend it never happened, so putting this here :)


	6. Fatherly Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The long-awaited natural disaster finally hits Arcadia Bay. Max finally rings Chloe after two months of absence, concerned about the fire. Chloe is surprisingly forgiving, looking forward into the future for once. 
> 
> Speaking of future, Ryan Caulfield has offered to spend some quality time with his daughter, unaware he's partaking in a massive inconsistency in time.

“Chloe… I have something I need to tell you… I… I’m so sorry.” Max was crying, struggling to find the words. “I’ve been lying to you. Yes I know, after I said I wouldn’t. But it-”

“I know, Max.” Chloe interrupted, surprisingly calmly.

“Y-you know?” Max was shocked. 

“I mean, doesn’t it make sense? It’s all you ever do. Lie and hurt your friends.”

“W-what? Chloe? What are you saying?” 

“Nothing more to you after today. Allow me to show you what Max Caulfield does to her friends.” Chloe pulled a lighter out of her jacket packet, held it up to her hair, and set herself on fire. 

Before Max’s very eyes, her best friend’s entire body burnt up, and her image was slowly being replaced with the forests of Arcadia Bay, all ablaze.

“CHLOE!” Max screamed herself awake. She was still in her bed, drenched in a cold sweat. Her AC was on full and she was shivering. “Thank God, it was just a nightmare. Yet another one. Ugh these past few days they’ve been non-stop, and most of them about me and Chloe as adults.” Max looked around. It was early Saturday morning in her Seattle home, which she’d grown (or rather regressed?) to hate. Not because it was a bad home, but being anywhere away from Chloe was torture to Max, for more reasons than she would yet admit. She quickly got up and looked in the mirror. “Phew still my 14-year-old self.” She turned on her radio, and instead of her normal tunes, a news announcement was blaring through the machine.

“New update on the fire at Arcadia Bay in Oregon…”

_“Oh shit that was last night?”_ Max thought. “_God I better ring Chloe.” _

“So far it seems no-one was hurt, but the fire is tearing through the forest and shows no sign of stopping. According to firefighters, it seems this was very much man-made despite all the heavy smoke and fire bans in that area.”

_“Disregarding fire safety laws? Definitely sounds like Chloe.”_ Max thought as she turned off the radio and pulled out her phone. “Shit it’s 9 in the morning. She could be asleep. But I have to try, make sure she’s safe. Cause that’s a concerned friend would do.” She shook off the weird thoughts about time and predictions and rang Chloe.

After an eternity of rings, a groggy voice called over the line. “Hello? It’s early on a Saturday, what do you want?”

“Chloe, it’s me.”

“MAX! Holy shit I’m so sorry- “ Chloe practically yelled. “Actually, no I’m not. Where the hell have you been?”

“Um, I’m so sorry. I don’t really have a reason for me not calling or texting. I apologise.”

“It’s been two months.”

“Yes, I know! I guess I just felt awkward.”

“Glad to see me not much has changed then.” Chloe chuckled. She sounded so much older than her 14-year-old self, but a lot younger than her 19-year-old self as well. There was a sense of both defeat and hope in her voice which worried Max greatly. 

“I-I heard about the fire, are you okay?”

“Is that seriously why you called?” She sounded nervous.

“I wanted to know if you were okay, I know the woman on the radio said no-one was hurt, but-”

“Max, relax! I’m fine. I was out with Rachel last night.”

“Rachel Amber?”

“Yeah! Wait- how do you know her?”

“Uh- um… Hold on.” Max stammered, then held out her right hand. She quickly heard bits of Chloe’s speech in reverse through the phone.

“... I was out with Rachel last night.”

“Who’s Rachel?”

“Oh right I never sent the letter. Rachel is a friend I met a couple nights ago. She goes to Blackwell. She’s super cool.” 

“That’s wonderful!” Max smiled. “I’m so happy for you.”

“You’re not… jealous? At all?” Chloe sounded confused.

“No, of course not. Why would I be? I was the one who left you, remember?”

“Please don’t remind me.” 

“Sorry.”

“No yeah she’s amazing. She’s super witty and charismatic.”

“Wow, direct upgrade, huh?”

“Don’t say that! She actually reminds me a lot of you.”

Max’s heart warmed and dropped at the same time. She gulped. “Well then she must be a wonderful person.”

  
“She absolutely is. So yeah, with her by my side I’m doing much better. My life was a shithole before I met her, and now I feel like I’m on top of the world.” She exhaled. “Aside from, you know, the massive forest fire destroying probably a lot of plant and animal life. God it’s so sad.”

“I know. I’m glad to hear you’re okay.”

“Thanks. How are you? Living large in Seattle?”  


“It’s not all that. The school’s nice, made a couple of new friends. Mostly pretty boring though.”

“Cool.” Chloe sounded disappointed, so Max added:

“None of my friends are as cool as you are though. I do miss you, Chloe. Sorry I haven’t been as communicative lately.”

“Communicative? Big word for a small Max.”

“Shut up.” 

“Nah, I accept your apology. Thank you.” 

“Ooh! I should tell you. I’m starting to properly get into photography. I’m not great yet, but I’m getting better, and I’m really enjoying it!”

“Yes! Yay for Max! If they’re anything half as good as the photos you used to take with Dad’s camera, I know they’ll be amazing.”

“Aw, stop it you. Actually, I’ll take a selfie right now and send it to you. I did just cut my hair after all. Also I’m wearing braces.”

“Braces? Goddamn it has been a while.”

“Yeah, and your teeth were so perfect you didn’t need them, lucky bastard.”

“Ouch! Bit extreme, haha. But my mom is lucky if anything - she would not be able to pay that much for orthodontics.”

“That would be hell.”

“You said it.” Chloe sighed. “Speaking of hell, my mom met a new man just recently.”

“Oh?” 

“Don’t sound so interested. He’s a prick and I hate him.”

“Oh.” 

“No clue what Mom sees in him, he’s a fucking war-vet who thinks he’s some kind of general of the household. Bossing me around, trying to go through my shit. Claims I’m hiding weed or something.” Chloe scoffed. “As if. I’d never leave it in my room somewhere for him to find it anyway.” Chloe laughed.

“Haha, for sure.” Max suddenly felt uncomfortable, remembering the significant age difference between her and Chloe, and how much shit she was going through. 

“Max! I made you breakfast!” Ryan Caulfield called from downstairs. Max smiled. Her dad’s new job meant he had Saturdays off, so he was able to spend time with Max while Vanessa had some down time either sleeping or reading. 

“Coming, Dad!” Max called out before speaking to Chloe. “I better go. Dad’s made me breakfast.” 

“Well aren’t you lucky.” Chloe did her best to sound dry, but playful.

“Your mom works in a diner, Chloe. Don’t sound so jealous.”

“Me? Jealous? Never!” Chloe laughed. “Anyway, I better let you go. You better send me that selfie, Caulfield. I wanna see your new hair. I’ll send you mine - I got it cut too.”

“I bet it looks amazing. Send me that letter as well.” 

“I’ve written a bunch. I’ll decide which ones I send. To be honest, not all of them are nice.”

“After the shit I pulled, I’m not expecting nice.” Max said sadly.

“Don’t worry so much, sis! I’ve already forgiven you. Please don’t do it again. My life has been pretty shit since Dad died, and it got worse when you stopped calling and texting”

“I’ll do better. I promise.”

“What was it that you said? The day my dad died? Something like, ‘Nobody lies, no exceptions.’ Where’d you get that from, bookworm?”

“I saw some pretty pessimistic graffiti and I decided to turn it on it’s head.” Max said, only half-lying.

“Trust you to find the light in a dark room.”

Max shuddered. 

“Max! Come on, honey!” Ryan called cheerfully but not patiently.

“Give me a second, Dad!” Max shouted. “I better go before Dad throws my breakfast down the garbage disposal. I’ll talk to you tonight, K?”

“We’ll see how that goes, Caulfield. I’ll have plenty more Rachel stories to tell.”

“I can’t wait. Send me a picture of her as well.”

“Shit, good idea. See you later, Super-Max.”

“Smell you later, Captain Bluebeard.”

Chloe laughed, and then hung up. 

Max felt the strongest pang of sadness as she pocketed her phone. She could feel her age resting on her eyelids. “19-years-old trapped in my 14-year-old body. Shit sucks.” She sighed and walked down the stairs, which felt cold underneath her bare feet. 

“There you are!” Ryan Caulfield cheered and hugged her daughter. “What the hell were you doing?” 

“Swear jar, Dad!”

Ryan laughed. “I’m not William Price, dear.” His face fell for a second. “But God I wish I were. Outstanding man.” He shook his head. “Anyway, I made you breakfast. It’s cold now.” He pretended to sound hurt.

“Haha, thanks Dad. Sorry I took so long. I was talking to Chloe.”

“Of course. That answers all my questions. Such as why you were swearing so loudly.” Ryan winked.

Max’s face turned white.

“I’m kidding! You think I care?” Ryan guffawed. “Just don’t do it in public or in front of your mother. That’s all I care about.”

“Oh my God, if I swore in front of Mom, I would literally die.” Max laughed, and grabbed her plate of bacon and eggs from the bench and sat down at the table. 

“Literally, huh?” Ryan smirked, sitting down next to Max with his own plate of food, which had twice the number of helpings. Max rolled her eyes.

“You know what I mean. Nice equal distribution of food by the way.” Max smirked as she gleefully stuck an egg in her mouth. “Mmm. Delicious.”

“I’ll ignore that sarcasm cause of that compliment. But only if you help me clean up afterwards.”

“We do that together every Saturday anyway.”

“Oh, you got me.” Ryan laughed. “I’m glad you’re talking to Chloe again. I still haven’t forgiven myself for being so… rude to the Prices at the funeral. It wasn’t fair.”

“Don’t be. You let me stay. And Mom was chill about it after a while, right?”

“It took her a day, but yes.” Ryan smiled. “My God you have grown up. It feels like only yesterday I took you and Chloe ice-skating.”

“Heehee I remember that. Chloe kept falling over.” 

“Good thing she had her best friend to help her up. You’re very good to Chloe.”

“She deserves it. She’s very good to me.”

“She was a little bossy at times, but I pinned that down to her being so much older than you.”

“It’s not THAT much.” Max sighed. “That day at the rink… that was so long ago. What, 9 years?”

Ryan looked puzzled. “Max, you were 10. 4 years ago.”

“Oh. Right.” Max clenched her jaw, and held up her right hand. Her vision blurred and she watched her father’s image move rapidly, his fork moving from his mouth to his plate. 

“That was so long ago. What, 4 years?”

“I believe so. If my math is correct. Then again I’m no mathematician.”

“Dad, you’re an engineer.” 

“You got me there.” Ryan laughed. “Enjoying the food?”

“I’m loving it. You’ve outdone yourself once again.”

“You say that every week.”

“And you know I mean it, every time.”

“I know you do, hon.” Ryan smiled. “Which reminds me…” He gets up and walks over to his bag, and pulls out two tickets. "How would you like to go to a hockey game? Tonight?”

Max dropped her fork in astonishment, which was weird, cause she knew the hockey game was coming at some point. “Absolutely! I’d love to!” Max excitedly got up from the table and hugged her dad. “I love you so much! Thank you!” 

“You’re very welcome, my dear. I love you too.” 

Max was scared. She remembered the hockey game in question, it was incredible. Such a close game, victory achieved by her favourite team out of the two. But there was one catch.

It wasn’t supposed to happen for another six months. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What could this mean for Max's future? Or Chloe's? 
> 
> *ghost voice* Oooooohhhhhh!


	7. The Great Fire of Arcadia Bay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max is at a hockey game with her dad, having the time of her life. But Chloe rings, bringing troubling news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! It's a really long chapter and life has been getting in the way at the moment. Thank you all for being so patient and I really appreciate all your comments!

Max almost didn’t hear her phone ring, the crowd around her was so loud. She felt it vibrate in the pockets of her jeans and took it out. 

“Hey Chloe.”

“Max!” Came Chloe’s eager voice. “Woah, where are you? I can hear so many people.”

“I’m at a hockey game.” 

“Hockey? It’s the complete wrong season for it.”

“That’s what I thought so too.” Max tried not to sound as scared as she felt. “Anyway you’re in luck - it’s just gone halftime. Dad went to get some hot-dogs about 10 minutes ago, So I can talk.”

“I can barely hear you. Can you go into a bathroom or something?”

“Hold on, I’ll wait for Dad to come back so I can tell him.”

“Oh right. Don’t want to get lost or anything.” Max could practically hear Chloe smirk.

“Shut up.” Max said playfully. “Ooo here comes Dad.” She looked up at her father, carrying two very large hot-dogs and beaming gleefully. 

“So. What are you going to eat?” Ryan joked.

“Very funny, Dad.” Max rolled her eyes. “Chloe just rang me but we can’t really hear each other. Is it alright if I sit in the bathroom for a bit?”

“No worries. But don’t be surprised if I eat your hotdog.” Ryan winked.

“Please don’t, I’m very hungry.” Max smiled and stood up. 

“Wait a second, stay right there.” Ryan looked very excited all of a sudden. He put the hotdogs down on Max’s chair and stood up. Max could hear muffled shouting from her phone, but Max couldn’t work out what was being said. 

“What are you doing, Dad?” Max asked. 

“This.” He reached into Max’s bag and pulled out her polaroid. “Now I’m no artist like you, but it’s a little-known fact that Dads are expert at taking amateur photographs.”

“Is that so?” Max laughed.

“Yep!” Ryan replied, quickly taking a picture, taking Max by surprise. 

“Dad!” Max giggled. “Don’t forget to shake it!”

“That damages it, you know.” Ryan said knowingly.

“Not for this camera.” Max smiled. “Lemme see.” She took the photo from Ryan’s hand and looked at it. “Oh wow I actually look really good here. Do you mind if I keep it? I wanna send it to Chloe.” 

“Absolutely, honey. Speaking of which, I’ll let you go talk to her now. Remember, ten minutes.”

“I know Dad.” Max said, running up the aisle stairs. “And don’t eat my hot-dog!”

Ryan laughed. “I promise!”

“Sorry about that.” Max said into the phone as she got into the bathroom. “Dad wanted a photo.”

“Oh thank God that’s much better. All those voices were so loud.” Chloe said. “Was it a good photo?” 

“Much better than the one I took for you earlier today. I’ll send this one instead.” 

“I highly doubt it’s better, but knowing Ryan I’ll bet it was good.”

“He claims dads have a ‘natural talent’ for photography.”

“Well my dad’s photos were amazing.”

“True. Anyway, what did you want to tell me?”

“Holy shit, yes!” Chloe whooped excitedly. “So, in short, Rachel Amber is amazing.”

“Amber? That’s a nice last name.” Max smiled. “Wait, Amber? As in the Arcadia Bay DA??? _ That _Amber???” Max feigned confusion.

“The very same, yes.” Chloe chuckled. “I’ll actually get onto him in a minute. Anyway. Rachel. She is astounding, Max.”

“Let me know if you want me to be your maid of honour.”

“Jealous, Caulfield?”

“No…” Max said playfully, even though she was actually very jealous. “Maybe.”

“Haha oh my god you so totally are! That’s so funny!” Chloe laughed, and Max could hear a loud thump through the phone, immediately becoming concerned. “Oh my god I just fell off my bed.” 

Max laughed. “You are such a dork.”

“Says you.”

“Please, Chloe Price. Do tell me. How is this Rachel Amber amazing?”

“She just gives no shits! It’s incredible! Yesterday she actually pulled _ me _out of class, not the other way round.”

“No way.”

“Yes way! It was so awesome! She showed her sick-ass costume for a Shakespeare play she’s in for the school drama club. It looks sick!” 

“I believe you.”

“Then she immediately took me to this junkyard and…”

Max clenched her jaw and froze. _“The junkyard…”_ Max thought to herself. _“God…”_ She thought about poor Rachel, buried in the same place she spent her first date with Chloe. 

“Long story short, we stowed-away on this train to this lookout point I’d never been to before. It was incredible.” Chloe continued.

“Damn, Chloe. Living life on the edge, huh?”

“What else is new?”

Max shrugged. Considering Chloe’s future, it’s clear that not much changes. “Then what? Wait didn’t you say you were by the lookout yesterday?”

“Yeah…” 

“Didn’t the fires start near the lookout yesterday?”

“I was trying to avoid this.” Chloe sighed. “Listen, I have to tell you something. I’ll start from the beginning.”

*

It was a nice and sunny day at Blackwell. Didn’t reflect Chloe’s mood exactly. She had just gotten reamed by her mother about sneaking out to see Firewalk (she regretted wearing the stolen t-shirt after that) and subsequently getting punished by being driven to school by David fucking Madsen. Chloe hated him. A jobless, paranoid, control-freak fresh out of the army. Of all people for Joyce to project onto, she chose HIM. Chloe wanted to hate her for that too, but try as she might, she could not bring herself to hate her mother. Whether she felt obligated by her morals or she actually did love and feel bad for her mother, she wasn’t sure. She muttered a thanks to David and got out of the car, slamming the door shut, flipping him off as she left. 

_“Right. I need to pick up that Blade Runner from Steph.”_ Chloe smiled. _“Steph Gingrich.”_ Chloe thought. _“Nerd extraordinaire. You would have liked her, Max.”_ Chloe sighed. At that point, Chloe had given up hearing from Max ever again. She was disappointed, but not surprised. She walked up the steps and bumped into an old friend. 

“Hey Eliot.” Chloe greeted him with false warmth. Chloe didn’t dislike the guy, but after they broke up, he developed a habit of being a bit too friendly with her physically. 

“Hey, Chloe.” He put away his binder, which contained notes from class.

_“Right, Chemistry test is today.”_ Chloe thought. “What’s going on?” She asked out loud.

“I was just doing some last minute revision for the test today. You need me to help you with anything or…?”

“Nah, I’m good. I know the stuff.”

“Translation: You didn’t study and you don’t care.”

“You know me well.”

Eliot shrugged. “Guess I do. Hey by the way, did you wanna go see the Tempest with me tomorrow? I know it’s not a concert, but it’d be nice to hang out again, like we used to.”

As usual, Eliot was being nice. Chloe couldn’t tell if that creeped her out any less. She liked Eliot and she enjoyed his company, but now that she wasn’t so alone anymore, Eliot was getting desperate, and Chloe didn’t really need him as much. As much as Chloe hated to think it, the only reason she hooked up with Eliot was because she was lonely and desperate. He was her version of David. Chloe felt disgusted thinking about that. At least Chloe eventually got over her grief. To an extent. However, because Max was giving her radio silence and school was just getting worse, she might need some support from someone who actually gives a shit. 

“Eh… I’ll have to check my schedule. I’ll give it a maybe.”

“I’ll take that. You must be real busy avoiding schoolwork.” Eliot chuckled. “Sorry, that was harsher than I wanted it to sound.” 

“Nah it’s funny. Anyway I gotta talk to Steph, I’ll see ya round.”

“Take care, Chloe.”

Chloe was glad to be out of there fast. She quickly walked over to Skip Matthews, the professional ‘mall cop’ of Blackwell. She didn’t stay long. Just listened to his band’s demo (which was incredible) and then made a beeline for Steph. She was playing some generic tabletop game with a wiry boy wearing large round-rimmed glasses. Chloe didn’t know much about him, except that his name was Mikey North, he was a nice kid, and his brother was a complete and utter douchebag. 

“Yo Steph.”

“Hey hey.” Steph smiled up at Chloe. 

Steph was one of the few people Chloe would describe as a ‘gentle soul.’ She was annoyed on Steph’s behalf that not everyone liked her. What, just because she was a nerd? So fucking what? Chloe shook her head. She wasn’t even one of the insufferable ones.

“You got my DVD?” 

“Here. Glad someone admires the classics.”

“Yeah. To be honest, I just want to see Pris.”

Steph laughed. “Don’t we all.” 

Chloe liked that about Steph. While Chloe was still coming to terms with her sexuality, Steph was out and PROUD. Chloe could talk about girls with Steph in a way no-one else at Blackhell would understand. 

“Hey. I saw that photo of you and Rachel last night. You guys looked super cute together.”

“W-” Chloe almost started choking. “What photo?” She coughed nervously.

Mikey snorted and started laughing. 

“Rachel posted a photo of you guys at Firewalk last night. She said it was amazing.” Steph tilted her head and looked at Chloe. “I didn’t know you were guys were that close.”

“Ah… Um…” Chloe cleared her throat. “I actually barely know her. She kinda saved my ass last night.” Chloe chuckled, failing to lift the awkwardness of the conversation. “Why are you so interested, anyway?” Chloe tried her best not to sound confrontational.

“Hahaha… Steph has a cru-ush!” Mikey said in a sing-song voice, receiving daggers from Steph’s eyes. 

Steph turned back to Chloe and shrugged. “Do you know if Rachel is a gamer? I’d like to get her into this.” She gestured to her game.

“DnD?” Chloe asked. Mikey raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Oh come on, Max and I played this all the time when we were younger.” Chloe struggled to recall the last time they played together. She remembered it being incredibly complex, even with William playing Game Master. 

“You wanna play? We have about 20 minutes left in this part of the campaign and Mikey needs a partner.”

“Sure why not.” 

Chloe was a natural. After Steph handed her a pre-made character sheet, Chloe took off. Apart from accidentally chopping off Mikey’s character’s legs, she completely wiped the floor with Steph’s NPC’s, still having ten minutes left before class.

“I better head in, got class soon, and I promised my mom I’d actually go to classes today. Thanks for the dvd. 5 bucks, right?”

“Keep it. This one’s on me.” Steph smiled, and her and Mikey waved goodbye. Chloe waved to Samantha as she walked past, who looked up at shyly waved back at her. As Chloe was about to walk into the school building, she felt someone knock into her, causing her to stumble to the side. 

“Hey, what the fuck!” She looked at who hit her. Nathan Prescott, professional sniveller of Blackwell. Chloe hated him, but felt bad for him at the same time. Typical rich, privileged kid, but it was common knowledge that his father was a piece of shit that treated Nathan more like a wayward business partner rather than his own fucking son. 

“These are fucking creepy, twitch.” A deep voice jeered down at Nathan.

_“Oh christ.”_ Chloe thought. Nathan hadn’t knocked into her on purpose. Drew North, Mikey’s brother, towered over Nathan, tauntingly holding a blue binder out of Nathan’s reach. 

“Give me back my fucking portfolio! This isn’t funny!” Nathan snarled. He wasn’t scared, just really fucking pissed. He looked like a wild animal. He jumped up trying to reach the binder, to no avail. Chloe would have laughed if it weren’t so horrible. 

“Can you take this fight somewhere else, ladies?” Chloe said casually, wanting the conflict to stop but still acting cool about it. She hated using womanhood as a way of insulting men, but it seemed to be the only way to get their attention. 

“So the mute speaks? Interesting.”

“I’m pretty fucking loud when I want to be. I just tend to avoid dickheads like you. What do you even get from this? Satisfaction? Glee? It’s fucking childish. You’re almost an adult, North. Start acting like one.”

“This fucker needs to earn a spot on the team, not get bought in by his father.”

“Oh come on, that’s not his fault. Nathan doesn’t have any control over what his father does and you know it.” 

“Yes but he asked to be on the team. He can’t fucking play! He ruins all of our games.” He turned back to Nathan, still jumping for the portfolio. “But we can’t say that, or he’ll go crying to his daddy, and he’ll pay a million bucks to shut us up.”

“At least our dad has money. How much is that football scholarship paying you, huh? You’re here cause of a small sheet of fucking paper.”

“_ My _ dad lost his job at the shipyard after _ your _dad laid him off!” Drew snarled, poking Nathan hard in the chest.

_“Wow. Dick move, Nathan.”_ Chloe thought. She instantly regretted defending him, and was reminded why she hated the Prescotts. Neither party was innocent in this situation, but Drew was being unfair with the whole portfolio thing.

“Stop! Leave him alone!” Samantha rushed to the scene, her finger in her book as a bookmark. Her wimpish cries almost made Drew laugh. Drew pulled his hand back, clearly about to throw Nathan’s portfolio of photos into the fountain. 

“Drew, stop!” Chloe rushed over and jabbed Drew in the ribs hard and grabbed the portfolio from his hand.

“Ow! What the fuck, bitch!?” Drew was seething with anger, but at least he laid off Nathan. 

“I hate Nathan as much as you do, but you don’t get to ruin his future career over the fucking football team. Just chill out.”

“My father had his career ruined by Sean Prescott.”

“That’s not Nathan’s fucking fault and you know it!” Chloe snarled. “Just back the fuck off.” She sighed and spoke calmly. “You’re a talented footballer, Drew. I’ve seen it. Don’t throw it away on petty revenge on Nathan fucking Prescott.”

“Alright, Price. But I’ll remember this.” Drew pointed at Chloe before heading into the school building. 

“I’m sure you will, meathead.” Chloe muttered under her breath. She handed the portfolio back to Nathan and smiled. “Some nice work in there. You’re a good photographer, Nathan.”

Nathan snatched back the binder. “You think I need help from _ you? _Fucking freak.” Nathan hugged the binder to his chest and ran off.

“Oh, you’re very welcome, sociopath.” Chloe muttered to herself sarcastically. 

“Thanks Chloe. It’s not fair how he gets treated here.” Samantha said. Chloe didn’t understand why Samantha doted on Nathan so much. She must have had a rich family as well. Being poor really changes your whole perspective on people. “They just look at Nathan and they see his father. Can they not see that his father hurts him too?”

Chloe had to admit that was true. But Nathan was still an asshole in his own way. Chloe half-expected him to bring a gun to school one day he was so fucked up. “I hear ya, Samantha. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye, Chloe.”

Chloe walked up to the school door and almost got smacked in the face by Rachel Amber.

“Chloe! Just the gal I wanted to see! Come with me.”

“Rachel- AH!” Chloe yelled as Rachel snatched her hand and dragged her into the school building. “What the hell are you wearing?” Chloe asked. Rachel was wearing a pair of slightly torn purple leggings, a slightly torn purple leotard, a hood with horns attached, and, strangely, no shoes. 

“Come see.” Rachel winked and dragged her into a classroom she hadn’t been in before. 

“Drama department.” Chloe said, not bothering to hide how unenthusiastic she was. “Sick.” Dana and Hayden were up on stage, reciting lines. Dana was cool, calm, and confident. She knew her lines and how to deliver them, but Hayden was struggling. He was good, but he was struggling. The director was not happy.

“Come on, Hayden. You’ve had weeks to be off-book!”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Keaton. It’s been pretty tough for me lately.” 

“I’m aware you’re busy, but so is Dana, and _ she _knows her lines.”

“Please don’t drag me into this.” Dana sighed. 

“But it’s true.”

“I don’t want Hayden to resent me.” Dana spoke firmly. 

“What are you struggling with, Hayden?” Rachel asked. Dana and Hayden gave a sigh of relief. Finally someone who knew what to do. 

“Um... “ Hayden muttered. “I’m not sure…” He pondered for a minute, scratching his head. Dana looked like she was about to speak up, but then Hayden said, “I think I’m unsure of my motivation. What does my character want?”

“Yeah, I’m unsure of what my character wants as well.” Dana added. “It’s clear she has some feelings for Ferdinand, but she’s unsure? Like of what her heart desires.” 

Chloe pretended she was following along. Rachel simply nodded, completely understanding. Rachel spoke up. “So you’re unsure on how Miranda feels about love?” 

“I guess.”

“I would give my opinion, but that would be biased. Luckily, we have someone who’s completely unbiased.”

“Uh…” Chloe mumbled. She did know nothing about Shakespeare, apart from maybe some of the more famous lines and some rudimentary knowledge of Romeo and Juliet. “From what I gathered from that scene, I feel like Miranda doesn’t know whether to trust her heart or her head.”

Rachel nodded. “So what should she do? Has she met the love of her life?”

“Bear in mind, I’ve essentially just told her I’ve been banging all the ladies.” Hayden chuckled. Dana giggled. 

“Right…” Chloe gritted her teeth, very anxious. “Well…” She looked at Rachel. “When you meet someone, sometimes you feel an instant connection. You can just tell that you really like that person.” Chloe smiled. “And you know you want to spend the rest of your life with this person.”

“That’s beautiful, Chloe.” The director, apparently called ‘Mr. Keaton’, said. “I didn’t know you were so poetic.”

“Give me a large black pen and magic will spill.” Chloe beamed. 

“Judging by some of the… artwork… I see around town and campus, I would bet.” The Mr. Keaton laughed. Chloe looked scared, so he said, “You’re not one of my students, so I don’t care. I don’t associate much outside my department, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

For once Chloe was thankful for knowing a rude teacher. 

“Yes, thank you Chloe.” Dana smiled genuinely. “That actually helps me a lot. Sorry that sounded rude.”

“No, it’s ok. You’re welcome.” Chloe smiled.

“Ok, yeah. I think I can use that.” Hayden nodded, filled with a newfound confidence. “Thanks, Chloe.” 

Chloe beamed. While she didn’t associate with Hayden and Dana, they were the two Vortex Club members that she actually _ liked _ , let alone respected. She suddenly looked at Rachel, was she a member of the Vortex Club? She seemed beyond their league. Chloe vaguely remembered someone saying she was in the Vortex Club, and now Chloe wanted to know why the hell she’d hang with a crowd like _ that. _ If she was anything like Hayden and Dana, she was probably just in it for the weed and booze. Chloe grinned. Suddenly the Vortex Club sounded great. But she thought about Victoria “Smug Bitch” Chase and figured it wasn’t worth it.

“Oh great.” Mr. Keaton sighed as the bell rang. “Now I gotta teach improv to a bunch of freshmen.” He turned to Hayden. “Remember Hayden, know your lines.” He spoke each word firmly.

“Of course, sir. Will do.” Hayden sighed, and followed Dana out of the drama room. 

  
“I have to get changed.” Rachel said to Chloe after everyone had left. “Can you grab my belt for me? It’s in my bag over there.” Rachel smiled and walked into the dressing room.”

“Uh… Sure!” Chloe smiled. She had never felt more nervous and awkward in her life. _“Bring a girl I just met her belt while she’s changing? I really don’t know about this.”_ Chloe thought to herself. She obliged anyway, looking into her bag to find a small belt and a photo of a young Rachel next to a man with dark hair. _“That must be her dad.”_ Chloe thought. _“She looks so happy here.”_ Chloe let a single tear drop down her face, remembering William. She quickly but carefully placed the photo back into Rachel’s bag and moved into the dressing room with the belt. She looked at the messages on the mirror and considered tagging it with her own addition, but thought against it. “I got your belt!” Chloe called loudly.

“Sweet! Give me a second.” Rachel called out from behind where she was changing. “Bring it here.” 

Chloe, without thinking anything of it, walked up to where Rachel was changing, and Rachel rounded the corner from behind cover, wearing only jeans and a bra. 

“Thank you so much!” Rachel said, quickly grabbing the belt off Chloe before she could react. Chloe had to rub her eyes, and her head, to take in what just happened.

_“She just… let me see her in her bra???”_ Chloe thought to herself. She was both pleased and confused. _“Why am I both happy and scared about this???”_ Chloe coughed. “No worries.” Chloe smirked. “You know, you’re a lot faster than other people I know.”

“How so?”

Chloe immediately regretted her words, but she had to continue with confidence. “Not everyone I meet goes from just meeting one day to undressing in front of me the next.” 

Rachel laughed. “You’re funny, Chloe Price.”

“So I’m told.”

“Speaking of last night, that was amazing!” 

“The music, or almost getting our asses kicked?”

“The only asses who got kicked were those goons.” Rachel laughed. “Of course I mean Firewalk! They were incredible.”

  
“I love Firewalk so much! I cannot believe I had the opportunity to actually see them LIVE!” 

“And having you there with me was amazing, too.” Rachel smiled at Chloe, whose heart started pounding.

“Uh um… Thank you. Having you there was incredible as well.” Chloe smiled weakly, and Rachel laughed.

“How would you like to come with me on a little field trip?”

“Rachel Amber? Ditching class?” Chloe smirked. “With _ me _?” 

“Yes, with you.” Rachel tilted her head and looked at Chloe. “Who else?”

“Everyone else in the school?”

“I’m a person, not a celebrity.”

“Tell that to the Vortex Club.” Chloe muttered.

“They’re not all bad. But it’s not as charming as people think either.” Rachel sighed. “Anyway. Enough about them. For today, let’s screw ‘em!”

“Ew no thank you. I’d rather not think about Prescott’s ugly face in that way.”

“Oh God, _ Prescott. _” Rachel spat. Chloe had never heard Rachel use so much poison in her voice. Rachel shook her head and grabbed Chloe’s hand. “Let’s get the hell outta here.

*

“What the hell is this place?” 

“I call it the ‘American Rust’. My home away from hell.” Rachel Amber laughed. “Found some cool shit here.”

“It’s a fucking junkyard, Rachel.” 

“That’s why it’s amazing!” Rachel ran to a small secluded area on the far side of the junkyard. “Ta-da!”

“Damn that’s a whole-ass makeshift cabin.” Chloe sat down on an abandoned couch in the middle and put her feet up on a small barrel that made for a coffee table. “Damn this is nice, Amber. Did you make this place?” 

“No this was way before my time. I reckon the hippies of the 60’s made this place.”

“Haha I don’t doubt that.” 

“Ooo! Here it comes.”

“Here what comes?” Chloe answered, but the rumbling from the distance answered her question. Rachel took her hand and they ran across the tracks. 

“Hop on!” 

Chloe looked startled, but luckily the train wasn’t going very fast. As an open car approached, they both ran and jumped on. Rachel whooped with glee and start puffing. 

“Phew. Man I haven’t felt this much excitement since…”

“Last night?” Chloe finished.

Rachel laughed. “Good point.” 

“Where does this train even go?”

“I don’t know, North?” Rachel shrugged. “Maybe we’ll end up in Seattle.”

“Yeah. Maybe.” Chloe failed to hide how sad she was.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh it’s nothing.” Chloe turned away.

“Do tell. It’s not like we don’t have much time.” Rachel grabbed a box and sat down next to the edge of the open car, letting the breeze belt her hair. “Sit down, Price.”

Chloe nodded, and grabbed a box similar to Rachel’s and sat down next to her. “My best friend. Her name was Max.”

“Was?”

“Uh, she’s not dead or anything! Haha…” Chloe chuckled nervously. “No, she just moved to Seattle for… however long. Probably for good. She left a week after my dad died, a couple years ago.”

“Jesus, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, though. At least she writes.” Chloe smiled weakly before letting it drop. “Or at least she used to.”

Rachel looked at her sadly and said nothing. 

_“Talk about an awkward silence.”_ Chloe thought to herself. _“I just vented my whole sob story to her and I don’t even know anything about her.”_ Chloe smiled and looked at her. _“Other than she’s drop-dead gorgeous.”_

Rachel seemed to have caught her staring, so she said. “What’s on your mind? Other than how lovely your early adolescence was?”

Chloe chuckled and sighed. “I’m just confused. Of all people, why did you ask _ me _to jump ship with you?”

“Well…” Rachel pondered for a while. “I wanted some company.” She shrugged.

“That’s it?” Chloe snorted. “I need a little more to go on that.” She smirked at her.

“Joy rides with me aren’t fun?”

“Joy rides to where, exactly?”

“Life needs a little mystery, Chloe.”

_“Damn.”_ Chloe thought. _“She’s good. That’s what I get for trying to banter with the DA’s Top Drama Student Daughter.”_ Chloe tilted her head. _“I think that’s the first time I’ve never had a witty comeback.”_ Chloe suddenly realised. _“Other than with Max. She was a wildcard though.”_

“Let’s do something fun.” Rachel said to break the silence, throwing off Chloe’s train of thought.

“Sorry, V-Card’s been taken, honey.”

“Wow.” Rachel raised her eyebrows in genuine shock.

Chloe sucked air through her teeth. “Yikes. Too far?”

“Just a bit.” Rachel smirked. 

_“She’s really got me by the balls, doesn’t she?”_ Chloe thought. “Okay, Amber. I’ll bite.” She said out loud. “What are we doing?”

“Two truths and a lie.”

“What?”

“I think we should play two truths and a lie. We each tell each other three facts about ourselves, two of which are true-”

“And one is a lie. Got it. And I’m guessing the other person has to determine which one is the lie?”

“Have you played this before or something?”

“Nope. There’s a reason I never went to the first week of every new class.” Chloe smirked. 

“Icebreakers are unavoidable for a girl like me.”

“Oooh so money!” Chloe waved her hands sarcastically. 

“Shut up!” Rachel giggled. “I’ll start: I was… born in New York, the city of fashion. I plan to make my great escape back Eastward once I’m out of Blackhell and Arcadia Bay for good.”

Chloe nodded. “Makes sense. I’ve never been outside of Arcadia Bay so I feel ya.” She replied.

Rachel nodded, then continued. “I’m ambidextrous.” She waved both hands in a ‘jazz hands’ style motion. 

_“Bullshit.”_ Chloe thought to herself.

“And finally…” Rachel thought for a couple seconds. “I’m a Leo.” Chloe tilted her wrist to imitate a cat. Chloe laughed.

“Okay, Rachel Amber. You’re on. Let’s see…” Chloe said. “Hmm…” 

“Any day would be nice, Price.”

_“God, what the hell?”_ Chloe thought. _“I don’t know if it’s because I’m so nervous but this girl is fucking unreadable. I’ll just guess.” _

“Well?” Rachel asked, when she saw Chloe look at her.

“Okay. Let’s see: I reckon the Leo is true. That would be a weird thing to lie about.”

Rachel nodded and said nothing.

“But as much as I want to disbelieve the whole ambidextrous thing… I reckon you’re a Cali girl. No rats on you, baby.” Chloe smirked.

“Well played, Chloe.” Rachel nodded and smiled, clearly impressed. “California indeed. West Coast is the Best Coast. I wanna do modelling and acting once I leave this shithole town.”

“Fucking amen to that, girl.” Chloe fist-bumped Rachel. 

“Your turn.”

_“Okay… let’s see.”_ Chloe thought. _“I’ll start off with my lie. She’ll never see it coming.”_ She cleared her throat and spoke confidently. “I love country music. Almost as much as I love punk.” She realised that was only half a lie, as she loved listening to music with William.

“Country music? Really?”

“Hey! Don’t judge!” Chloe feigned offence. “My Dad loved country music. We’d listen to it in the car all the time when it was just the two of us. Mom HATED his taste in music.”

“Oh, sorry. Didn’t realise.” Rachel looked away. Clearly she wasn’t comfortable talking about Chloe’s deceased father.

“It’s fine, you didn’t know.” Chloe resisted the urge to smirk. She had Rachel all fooled. 

“Anyway, next fact.” Chloe struggled to find a fact she felt comfortable sharing. “I, uh, wanted to be a pirate as a kid.”

“Really? Go on.”

“Me and Max would dress-up and roleplay as pirates all the time. Running around the backyard, the scourge of Arcadia Bay.” Chloe sighed. “Those were the good times.” 

Rachel nodded. “Pirates arrrre pretty cool.”

Chloe laughed. “You did NOT just do that.”

Rachel laughed and put her hand on Chloe’s shoulder.

_“Oh God.”_ Chloe thought and started to sweat. Without thinking, she blurted out, “Uh last fact is I’m gay!” She immediately covered her mouth in shock.

Rachel sat there stunned. “Wow. That came out of nowhere.”

Chloe felt the embarrassment burn her face as her hands slowly moved to cover her whole face. 

“Well I guess that one is true then.”

“I don’t know why I fucking said that I’m so sorry.” Chloe was on the verge of tears.

Rachel laughed. “You think I care? I think that’s really cute, Price.”

Chloe had to do a double take. She was so shocked she forgot how upset she was. “What did you just say?”

“Ah, I mean… I should guess which one’s false! Haha…” Rachel was actually nervous. No more cool, calm, and collected façade. While that side of her was suave and sexy, Chloe found this side much more cute and… genuine. “Okay let’s see: Well you’re obviously gay…”

Chloe went back to panicking briefly.

“I fully believe you are a pirate. It takes guts to admit that, and you definitely are a woman with guts.”

“Well right now they have butterflies in them.”

“No kidding. So that means you do not love country music!” Rachel smiled. “Pretty much knew that was the lie immediately after you said it, no matter how much you tried to spin your dad into it.”

“You really are the DA’s daughter.” Chloe laughed. “I don’t like country music. My dad did, though. And he really did play it when we were on car trips. God it used to infuriate me.” 

“But now?”

“But now it just makes me feel sad.” Chloe leaned back and placed her palms on the floor of the car. “Always reminds me of him. Always reminds me of the day of the funeral. Mom was driving me home. Max was in the car with me.”

“You really loved this Max person, didn’t you?”

Chloe nodded. “She was my best friend, Rach. She did so much for me. And now she’s gone. Radio silence for two months.” 

“Dude that sucks.” Rachel put a reassuring hand on Chloe’s shoulder, sending a spark down her spine.

“Anyway. That day at the funeral, I’d never seen anything like it.” Chloe smiled, tears beginning to drip down her face. “Max was an interesting friend. Great if you liked to take charge, which I did. She was never very good at standing up for herself. She just went with the flow. So you can imagine my surprise when she stared her dad right in the eye and firmly told him she wasn’t leaving with him.”

“Wow.”

“That was my reaction.” Chloe giggled. “Max’s parents were moving to Seattle that very day.”

“Are you serious? Just right after the funeral?”

“Yep.”

“That’s so fucked up.”

“Yep. Clearly Max was smart and caring enough to see it. It was fucking obvious that Max’s parents looked down on us. Just because they were slightly richer. Ugh it was so pathetic.”

“My parents are like that too.”

“Max refused to leave, insisting that she stay with me for one more week. Her dad eventually said yes and apologised. He gave Mom about $100 to help cover any costs we might need.”

“That was nice of him.”

“I saw the look in his eyes when Max walked over to me. It was incredible. It was a mixture of shame and pride. Like he realised how much of a fool he was. But he also looked scared. Utterly terrified of how grown-up his daughter was.”

“Damn. That’s some hardcore shit.”

“Max stayed with me after that, and that quickly became the best and worst week of my life.” Chloe sighed. “I don’t know. Max being there just made things easier. She insisted on sleeping in my bed, cuddling me when I had nightmares.”

“She sounds like a really good friend.” Rachel smiled, tears dripping down her face.

“Yeah. She was.”

“Oh shit, we’re here!”

“What?” Chloe looked out of the car towards where the train was going. “I thought you said you didn’t know where we were going.”

Rachel winked. “Get ready to jump!”

“Get ready to WHAT!?”

“JUMP!” 

Chloe looked down. The train wasn’t going very fast, and she had been in more dangerous situations. “FUCK IT!” She cried and jumped. “WOOHOO!” She laughed as her feet collided with the ground. She quickly combat-rolled on the ground to stop her ankles from breaking. Rachel stumbled along the gravel behind Chloe and almost fell on top of her. “Woah!” Chloe cried. “You just can’t keep yourself out of my arms, can’t ya?” 

Rachel immediately recoiled off her and stood up, nervously brushing herself off.

_“I’m not sure if I should feel ashamed or proud of that one.”_ Chloe thought to herself. 

“Any- uh- anyway, there’s a really cool lookout point over the Overlook up there.” Rachel pointed to a small hilltop only a few minutes walk away.

“The ‘Overlook’?” Chloe repeated. “A+ for creativity.” Chloe said sarcastically.

Rachel giggled. “Come on!”

A few minutes later, they were at the top of the hill. 

“Crap I left my wallet in my bag back in the drama room!” Rachel slapped her forehead. “I don’t suppose you have a quarter for the viewing machines, do you?”

“Nope. But I’ll find one.” Chloe looked at the viewing machine on the left, which had something sticking out of the slot slightly. It had clearly warped after all its neglect, causing the quarter to get stuck. Chloe reached into her pockets and found a small screwdriver she snagged from David’s toolbox earlier that morning. _“For once, David, I’m glad I have your tiny tool-ass around.”_ She thought to herself. The screwdriver wasn’t gonna be able to pry it open on its own, but she did see a slightly loose plaque on a bench a couple of metres away. After several attempts and groans, she managed to get the plaque off, almost chopping off her ear as it flew past her. She picked it up off the ground and, placing her foot up on the fence for counterbalance, pried the slot off the broken viewing machine for a quarter. “Got it.”

“Damn, Chloe.” Rachel looked her up and down flirtatiously. “You’re resourceful.” She took the quarter from Chloe’s hand and placed it into the slot. “Damn this one has some range.” She turned to Chloe and motioned her over to the machine. “Come hither. Look yonder!”

“There’s the Shakespearean actress shining through.” Chloe said smugly. 

“Let’s do some improv. Let’s say what these people down here are saying.” Chloe pointed to the people down at the bottom of the overlook.

“They look like toys from here.” Chloe laughed. 

“HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU, PARKER!?” Rachel shouted in an angry-business voice as she directed the viewing machine to a man in a suit sitting at a bench on his laptop. “DO NOT CALL ME WHILE I’M WATCHING PORN IN MY OFFICE!”

Chloe snorted and burst out laughing. She had no idea Rachel was so crude. “Dude’s wearing a fucking suit in like 85 degree weather. What the fuck.” 

“It’s Official Business Etiquette.” Rachel said, still imitating the business man. She laughed. “Now your turn.” She said in her normal voice. 

“Me?” Chloe pointed to herself. “Okay then. Let’s see…” She stopped over on a young guy wearing gym clothes stretching against a tree. “Ooo Christ. I think I popped my hernia again.” She put on the voice of a decrepit, old man. “Oh man I’m gonna to explain that to Maria. Oh she’s gonna yell at me again. Oh God I fucking hate that bitch.”

Rachel snorted and started laughing. “He’ll probably go bald by 30 at that rate.”

“Oooh! I wanna do another one.” Chloe cried excitedly. “JACKPOT!” Chloe whooped as she panned the viewing machine over to a couple standing under a tree, the man moving in for a kiss. “I-I-I’ve never-never done this before, B-Barbara… W-w-what if I me-mess it up-p-p?” Chloe tried her best to imitate a nervous frat boy, but Rachel was not amused. When Chloe looked up, Rachel looked pissed off. “Rachel?”

Rachel said nothing, just angrily turned around and stomped away. “STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!” She screamed.

“Rachel! Come back!” Chloe stopped, angrily cursing herself. “What did I do?”

“NOTHING, ALRIGHT!? FUCKING NOTHING!” Rachel turned around to face Chloe, her eyes full of tears.

“Woah, Rachel, what happened?” Chloe stepped a little closer. “It’s fine. You can tell me.” Chloe reached out a hand to comfort her, but Rachel shoved Chloe away, HARD. “Jesus Christ!” Chloe cried as she stumbled backwards. She looked at Rachel.

“I’m sorry Chloe.” Rachel sobbed. Her eyes were filled with tears; a mixture of pain, betrayal, and regret. “I just… have to be alone right now.” Rachel turned around, and ran off.

“WAIT!” Chloe cried, sprinting to catch up with her.

“You know that man? That we saw? Kissing that woman?”

“Yes…” Chloe was curious, but also terrified of where Rachel was going with this.

“That was my dad. Kissing a woman…” Rachel sniffed. “Who was not my mother.”

*

“And then she just…” Chloe was clearly upset. “She threw the photo into the trash can and… kicked it over and screamed. I didn’t know what to do. I just sat there and watched as the old oak tree went up in flames. I just took Rachel and ran.” Chloe sobbed. “We ran all the way home. It took an hour, but we did it.”

“Chloe… oh my god…” Max suspected they were connected, but she didn’t think _ Rachel fucking Amber _would be the direct cause of the fire. “What did you do then?”

“Nothing! What the hell can we do!?” Chloe cried. “We just caused one of the biggest natural disasters in Arcadia Bay history! What if it keeps spreading? What if it hits the town?”

“Chloe, stop. You’ll be fine. Just stay calm.” Max tried her best to soothe Chloe. To calm her down. 

“Okay. You’re right. I don’t want to wake Rachel anyway. She, uh, crashed at my place last night and she’s having a nap now.” 

Max smiled at the thought. 

“What am I gonna do, Max? I wish you were here to help me.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll think of something.”

And at that exact moment, a blue butterfly flew past Max through the bathroom and out the window.


	8. Phase 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe tells Max about a new face in town, and Max decides to do a little research, with her mom present.

"Hey you'll NEVER guess who's coming to Blackwell to teach next year!" Chloe whooped excitedly down the phone.

"Who?" Max asked. Even though she already knew.

"MARK FUCKING JEFFERSON." Chloe said excitedly.

"Um... cool? I guess... Why are you excited about this? I thought you weren't into photography."

"Well Ms. Grant told me the Prescott's-" She took a second to make a retching noise, making Max laugh. "Donated a bunch of money to the arts, which enabled us to get a proper photography course running for seniors and tertiary students."

"That's amazing!" Max said, genuinely excited. “Dammit now I want to go to Blackwell.”

“You seriously don’t.”

“At least I’ll be with you.”

Silence.

“Anyway, I thought you’d be more excited about a name like _ Mark Jefferson _at Blackwell. I’ve looked up some of his stuff - right up your alley.”

“Oh I’m _ well _aware of his line of work.” Max spat with as much spite as she could. 

“Woah, you got like a personal grudge against him or something?”

_ “You could say that. _” Max thought to herself. “Nah I just get a bad vibe from his work, the way he looks, you know?”

“Just because he’s hot doesn’t mean he’s evil.” 

“Ew! He’s like 30, Chloe!” Max could practically hear Chloe’s shrug. 

“But what about his photos? What don’t you like about them?”

“Ugh. 90% of his photos are just gratuitous shots of scantily-clad women who look like they’ve been roofied. And have you noticed that most of them look really young?”

“What, do you think he’s some kind of creep or something?”

“Exactly! I wouldn’t be surprised if he went round high-schools kidnapping students out of their dorms.”

“Lemme have a better look at his pictures.” Chloe said, before getting onto her laptop. Max could hear the click of her keys. “Actually, now I see what you mean. Ugh.”

“I wouldn’t mind getting taught by him, but I would stay the fuck away from him outside of that.”

“Duly noted.” Chloe cleared her throat. “Come to think of it, Rachel was taking quite an interest in him too…”

“Well tell her to stay the fuck away from him as well. Besides, that’s a little unfair to you, isn’t it?”

“Eh. She does what she wants.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

Silence. “No.” Chloe finally said. 

“There you go.”

“You’re right. I’ll make sure she knows.”

Max smiled. Chloe had initiated the next stage in her plan for her. “I gotta go. Busy day ahead of me.” 

“It’s a Sunday what could you possibly be doin-”

“Bye, Chloe. Love you.”

“Love you too-” Chloe started to say, but was cut off.

Max hung up. She sighed. _ “Ironic that I’d hang up in a hurry like that. Considering I’m just testing my time powers.” _ She held her phone in her left hand and stretched. Ever since she arrived in Seattle she’d been slowly regaining and working on her powers. After a month she could walk downstairs, take a cookie right of her father’s hands, run back to her room, and rewind time so he’d never know. Her next step was walking while rewinding time, as well as stopping it, the latter of which she still hadn’t succeeded doing yet. She could rewind a lot further back and more often before she got migraines and nosebleeds, but she’d still often pass out. In her left hand she held a polaroid of Chloe and her cellphone open with Chloe’s contact details. Her mind fixated on the phone conversation, she carefully held up her right hand and started rewinding time. Everything around her became a blur - her blue walls gradually became white and red, and she could feel her brain contracting in on itself. Never had rewinding hurt so much, and she hoped that meant that her plan was working. After 30 seconds, she stopped and looked at her phone. 

“YES!” Max cheered excitedly. The call had not been erased. She hoped that meant that Chloe still retained all the information from the call. Combining being able to move while rewinding with the ability to make others unaffected by the rewind could make her so much more powerful. She thought of all the ways she could use those powers. _ “I could literally cheat death.” _ She thought. _ “Bullet comes Chloe’s way and she can just dodge it.” _ She thought about Rachel very briefly and sighed. Getting Chloe to become friends - or rather more than friends - was the easy part. It was getting them away from Mark Jeffershit that was the hard part. If she’s more demanding on getting her own way than Chloe is… Max shook her head. _ “Can’t think about that right now _.” Thinking about Mark Jefferson got Max thinking. She went downstairs to where her mother was sitting on the couch, reading a book. 

“Hi, sweetie.” Vanessa said, briefly putting down her book. 

“Hi, Mom. Is it alright if I use the computer?” Max said, walking towards the family computer.

“Go for it.” Vanessa said, her face back in her book. “But make me tea, first.”

Max groaned. She swore her mother went through about 5 cups of tea a day. “Alright. Hand me your cup.” 

Vanessa grabbed her cup from the coffee table and held it high above the couch without looking. 

“Mom!” Max yelped, running over and grabbing the cup. 

“What? There was no tea in it.” Vanessa replied. “You think I didn’t learn from last time?”

“That _ was _only last week.” Max sighed. It took her forever to get the tea out of the carpet. She walked over to the kettle and flipped the switch. There was still about half a litre of water left. “Milk and no sugar, right?”

“Yes please, honey.” 

As the kettle boiled, Max leaned up against the counter and inhaled and exhaled deeply. She took in the space around her. She really appreciated the new house she was in. _ “Bit cramped.” _ She thought. To some extent it was - living in a big city meant accommodation was a hell of a lot smaller. But it was nice. She missed the sheer size of the Price’s house. So much space in the background to run around. But she wasn’t 13 anymore. She’s already had the pleasure of living that age twice. The kitchen was perhaps the smallest room of them all - if you slipped on the polished, white marble you wouldn’t need to reach far to grab onto something. At least it was in the suburbs. She couldn’t imagine her parents living in an apartment complex, that would be hell. She looked out the window behind her. A little bluejay sat on a branch on a small tree, singing along with the wind. The tree was the most exciting thing about the outdoor section, so she didn’t bother looking further. At least the living room was spacious. There was a desk in the corner housing the “family” computer. Both Max’s mother and father had their own laptops, so Max was the only one who ever used it. _ “Still need to ask permission to use it.” _ Max grumbled. She didn’t have the innocence of a 14-year-old, but by God she still had the privileges of one. Her parents were too protective of her, especially her mother, but Max couldn’t possibly begin to explain how she could take care of herself. She looked at the stairs opposite her. Fairly plain-looking, but the bannister was thick and had been recently polished - perfect for sliding down, if not for the very well-placed ming vase sitting on a shelf at the bottom. She suddenly felt very tired, as if the events of years-to-go-past started to weigh on her all at once. She liked her bed, and she had the sudden urge to return to it. Her bedroom was a lot bigger than it was at home. Back at Arcadia Bay. She could starfish on her bed and still be nowhere near the edges, she remembered being quite fond of that when she first arrived in the original timeline. _ “Heh.” _ She thought. _ “Not everything changes then, huh?” _She had pale blue walls all around her bedroom, and a nice large window looking out over Seattle, with a clear view of the Space Needle in the distance. She took another deep breath in and out, her thoughts being rudely interrupted by the sound of the kettle coming to boil. Max picked it up, poured her mother a cup of tea and handed it to her. 

“How are you doing, Maxine?”

“Please don’t call me that, Mom.” 

“Sorry, sweetie. Max. How are you doing?” Her mother couldn’t help but throw a miniscule bit of scorn into that sentence. Max scowled internally and went over to the computer.

“I’m alright. I’ve just been talking to Chloe. I need to search something up.”

“Like what?” Vanessa asked.

“Uh… Chloe told me Blackwell’s starting a photography course for senior students. I’m just looking up the teacher that’s gonna be running it. His name is ‘Mark Jefferson.’”

“Ooh! I like that name.” Vanessa put her book and cup down and walked over to the computer, where Max was scrolling through some photos online.

“I’m just not a real big fan of this stuff. Too dreary.”

“I think it’s cool! He has an eye for shadows.” Vanessa smiled.

Max felt a shudder down her spine. “Ew.” Max made a face.

“What’s wrong?”

“Look at this one.”

“What? It’s just a lady.”

“No but _ look _at her.” Max zoomed in on the photo and pointed to the model’s face. She was lying on the ground beneath a large oak tree. She was wearing a plain white dress, holding a cigarette in her outstretched hand, her other arm draped over herself like a tattooed bedsheet. “She looks like she’s been drugged.”

“And how would you know what that looks like?” Vanessa said accusingly.

“I do watch TV when you guys aren’t around.” Max said. “There are commercials everywhere on this sort of thing.”

Vanessa stopped herself from scolding her daughter and analysed the photo more carefully. “Oh my God I think you’re right.” She looked shocked. Vanessa straightened up. “I’m sure she’s posing. She’s been paid to make that pose."

Max said nothing. She just stared at the photo. Half of the woman’s face was concealed by her long blonde hair, but her dark green eyes were in clear view. Jefferson would have made sure of that. Max found it odd - this model was a lot older than most of his other ‘subjects’, but there was a gross familiarity about her. “I mean, I’m glad Backwell is delving more into the arts. But it’s painfully clear they went for reputation rather than who’d be a good person to actually teach teenagers.”

“Well, it’s for seniors, right?” Vanessa had resumed her position on the couch, and took a sip of her tea. “Doesn’t that sort of justify hiring a more… risque teacher?”

“If by risque, you mean, ‘probably has half a dozen sex scandals to his name’, then yes!”

“MAX!”

“Sorry. I just really don’t like the look of this guy. He scares me.” Max didn’t have to look to know that her mother had relaxed a bit after that comment. 

“Judging by how that woman looked, I cannot say I blame you, dear. Let’s just hope he doesn’t try anything with the students.”

“Chloe will know what to do. She’s smart.”

“But she’s not invincible, you know. Like it or not Max, she’s reckless, and her behaviour is bound to get herself hurt, if not someone else. ”

_ “You’re telling me. _” Max thought, remembering the numerous times Death had tried to take Chloe in her bony clutches. Max shook her head. She’d had enough of reliving traumatic memories about Jeffershit. She logged off the computer and went back upstairs to her room, smiling. Now both Chloe and Vanessa had initiated the next stage in her plan for her.


	9. Gale Force Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world decides to deliver a message to Max, and not a pretty one at that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry for the hiatus and such a short chapter compared to the previous ones. It's October, which means MAJOR crunch time on assessments at Uni, so I probably won't be updating for at least another two weeks. I just wanted to get this out cause I had some inspiration! Hope you enjoy and thank you for all the support <3

The wind was howling. Rain belted at Max’s face. Mud stained her clothes where she lay. A large crack of thunder startled Max awake. She gasped.

“What the fuck!?” She shook her head and looked around. She was lying on a dirt path, rain and wind crashing through the trees around her. She looked at the small wooden sign ahead of her. “Oh no! I’m here again! Fuck this!” She shielded her face from the elements and headed forward, up the path towards the lighthouse. Thankfully the weather decided not to try and kill her this time, so she made it up to the edge of the cliff safely, but she raised her eyebrows in surprise.

She heard voices.

“What the fuck do we do now? I’m scared.” A loud, erratic female sounding voice shouted over the wind.

“I know! I am too. But.. we’ll figure this out. I promise.” Came a softer, slightly-less-panicked voice. “I won’t leave you, Chloe.”

Max stopped dead in her tracks. She took a full second to make sure she was still breathing.

“God, Rachel. I don’t want my mom to die like this. I don’t want anyone to die like this.”

“I know! Neither do I.” Rachel Amber sighed, and pressed one hand firmly against her forehead. “We’re such hypocrites. Here we are, after years of promising to burn Arcadia Bay to the ground, sadly watching as it happens right in front of us.”

  
“Why must everything I want always come back to hurt me? To hurt the people I care about? Why can’t I just have something good for once in my FUCKING LIFE!” Chloe screamed and threw something off the cliff, probably a bottle, but from Max’s angle she couldn’t tell. Max moved to get a closer look. Chloe was dressed as her punk self from the future. Blue hair, tattoos, everything. Rachel wore a plaid shirt and ripped jeans - exactly the style Chloe said she wore. The tips of her long hair were dyed pink, but otherwise she was mostly blonde. She wore the bracelet Max had seen on Frank’s wrist. 

_ “Guess they don’t meet up in this timeline, huh.” _ Max thought to herself.

“God I wish Max were here.” Chloe sobbed, leaning into Rachel’s shoulder. Rachel wrapped her arm around Chloe and pulled her closer into her. It was almost funny to look at, with Rachel being so much shorter than Chloe.

“I know you do, I wish that too.” Rachel kissed the top of Chloe’s head. “But she’s safe with her parents in Seattle, right? She’ll be fine.”

“Yeah. That’s true.” Chloe nodded sadly.

“What? NO! I’m right here!” Max yelled out, but they couldn’t hear her. A small doe approached Max from behind, brushing her leg as she went past. She looked up at Max, her ghostly form shimmering as the lightning struck around them. “Why are you here? Why am  _ I  _ here!?” Max asked the doe angrily. “What is going on?” The doe said nothing, but turned her head towards Rachel and Chloe, standing on the edge of the cliff, silently watching as Arcadia Bay was torn to shreds. 

“Oh Max…” Came a creepily familiar voice from behind her. “Take a picture. It’ll last longer.”

“Stay the fuck away from me. You’re not real. Seeing this vision here and now proves that that I never see your stupid fucking face. And Rachel never sees it either.”

“But Max, if I’m not real, how can she be real?” Mark Jefferson walked around to face Max, turning her face so she was forced to look at him. “Look at me. I’m as real as you are, here and now. And yet, I’m not real at the same time. This was simply a trick, cleverly played on you by your own mind, blurring the lines between reality and fiction.” Max broke free from his grasp and looked at Rachel, still standing on the cliff. “Go on, Max. Take the shot. Your eyes cannot see what is currently happening. You need to look through another lens.” Mark pulled out Max’s polaroid from seemingly thin-air and gave it to Max. “Such a stupid old thing. Takes good pictures though. Well, it would, if you used it.”

“Shut the fuck up! I’m not listening to you. Burn in hell.”

“Well I am currently soaked in water, so good luck on that one. If you wish to be stuck here forever, that’s fine. But artists only progress when they take. The. Shot.” Mark Jefferson smiled evilly down at her. 

Max reluctantly grabbed the camera and raised it up to her eye level, and took a photo of Rachel and Chloe.

“Good, Max. You’re really getting better at this.” Mark Jefferson chuckled as he walked away, leaving a trail of bloody footprints and the smell of overpriced cologne. The doe had vanished. Max looked towards Rachel and Chloe, only to discover Rachel had vanished too. Only Chloe remained, kneeling on the ground, crying. Max finally walked over to Chloe, and felt the rain start to lift. She smiled, then dropped it just as quickly. As the rain stopped, the temperature of her environment increased, until it was unbearable. The environment around her slowly warped, changing the forest by the lighthouse until it was fully ablaze. Max looked down at 16-year-old Chloe, clutching Rachel’s body, her clothes slowly burning in the intense heat. Max felt helpless. She did the only thing that made sense to her at that time. She knelt down and hugged Chloe’s burning body, setting herself alight. 

“I’m sorry Chloe. I changed nothing. Everything I wanted to stop still happened one way or another.” She sniffed and inhaled her best friend’s ashes. 

“I failed you.” 

*

Max gasped as she awoke, drenched in a cold sweat. She rubbed her forehead, feeling an intense migraine growing behind her eyes. She moaned in pain and sat up. “What the fuck was that? That was the worst nightmare I’ve had yet.” She felt like it was a sign - a sign that she was doing something, but it wasn’t enough, and the fire at the Overlook had more effect on time than she originally thought. Or maybe only now it did, because she was meddling with it. She couldn’t tell whether to meddle more or less with time. However, one thing was for sure: 

Jefferson would not be stopped so easily. 


	10. A Bad Day At The Office

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Chloe and Rachel's rash escapade is weighing heavily on them, but Chloe feels something primal within her as Rachel tries to take the blame. New information comes to light that will change Chloe's life forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why is that after I finally have some free time my brain doesn't want to write,,,,
> 
> Anyway here have this lol canon is out the fucking window now

“Ms. Price. How good of you to join us.” Principal Wells called from his great throne as Joyce Price entered the office.

_ “Well this is gonna suck.” _Chloe thought. She looked over at the girl next to her and smiled. Rachel smiled back and winked subtly. Chloe suppressed a giggle and instead chose to look at the couple standing next to Rachel, her parents. Rachel’s mother was dressed in very expensive clothing, with a large white necklace with an even larger white pendant around her neck. Chloe didn’t know her but already hated her. Jewellery of that calibre was too gaudy for her and all it screamed was: “I’m rich!” rather than anything actually noteworthy about a person’s personality. Her smile was obviously fake, and she looked just as tired as Chloe’s own mother did. That made Chloe feel somewhat sympathetic.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Wells I-” Joyce ran forward, grovelling with a thousand apologies. 

_ “Jesus Christ Mom it’s not your fault.” _ Chloe thought to herself, a mixture of anger and sympathy in that sentiment. Luckily Wells wasn’t having any of it, and motioned to Joyce that it was okay. _ “Finally did one thing right.” _Chloe thought bitterly. She looked over to the man standing above Rachel, his hands on Rachel’s shoulders. She scowled and hoped no-one saw. Apparently Rachel did, since she giggled. That wiped the scowl right off Chloe’s face. If Chloe hated Rachel’s mom (which she didn’t really believe she did), then she absolutely detested her father. Standing there, blissfully unaware of her own daughter’s knowledge of his betrayal. “Bastard.” Chloe muttered quietly so Rachel could hear but no-one else. Rachel had to chew on her own sleeve to prevent her from bursting out laughing. The site of almost caused Chloe to laugh herself. Luckily, she knew how Wells would react. She was used to process by now.

“One of you is new to the Blackwell disciplinary procedure, and the other is all too familiar.” Wells tried his best to stare daggers at Chloe, but Chloe was so resistant to it by now that it almost made her laugh. As Wells went on a spiel about paperwork or whatever the fuck, Chloe started breaking down the events that had occurred to her last night. _ “I actually ditched school with Rachel Amber…” _ She glanced at Rachel and smiled, and Rachel smiled back, causing Chloe’s heart to flutter. She quickly decided to stare at the ugly bronze hawk sitting on Wells’ desk instead before she did something stupid. _ “And Max was with me. The whole time. Cheering me on from Seattle… like she was guiding me.” _ Chloe suddenly realised the effort Max was making into keeping their relationship strong, as well as Max’s efforts to enjoy life and meet other people. _ “She… she really cares about me huh…” _Chloe thought back to the day her dad died, something she had not done for a long time. 

_ "There will come a time, a few years down the track perhaps, that you will meet someone you really like. Someone you really care about. That someone might become a best friend, or even a lover. That person might ask you to do something for her. To take a leap of faith - to do something very daring. And in that moment, I want you to do it. Whatever the cost. Even if it means forgetting me entirely." _

_ "That's too high a price." _

_ "I love you, Chloe. Never forget that." _

Chloe suddenly felt her soul leave her body. _ “Did she… know that this would happen? _ ” She looked at Rachel carefully. Rachel was looking at Principal Wells, putting on a very impressive act of guilt. _ “Even if it means forgetting me entirely…” _ She echoed Max’s words in her brain. _ “Maybe that’s Max cut me off for nearly two months… so that I would reach out and find someone else. But how? How could she have predicted that? How could she have predicted Rachel? _ ” Chloe felt her head start spinning. She felt like her mind would actually be at more ease listening to Wells, so she turned her attention to Wells. _ “Well-timed.” _She thought as she blinked, as Wells was staring right at her.

“Miss Price…” Wells said indignantly. “Are you paying attention?”

Chloe suppressed a chuckle. _ “Mr Grouchy hasn’t had his breakfast whiskey yet.” _Chloe thought to herself before speaking out loud. “Absolutely, sir.” Chloe tried her best to look serious, but neither Wells nor Rachel bought it.

“Then what did I just say?”

Chloe felt everyone’s eyes on her. Rachel was making an ‘ooohhh!’ face that one does when a peer is in trouble. Chloe rolled her eyes. “You were about to remind me of the agreement we made last time I was in here.”

“Very good.” Wells nodded, genuinely surprised. 

_ “Well that was a complete fluke.” _Chloe thought to herself. 

“And what was that agreement?”

“Ah, um…” Chloe tried her hardest to rack her brain for an answer. “Don’t be an asshole?”

“Watch your language, Miss Price.” Wells narrowed his eyes further at Chloe. “But yes, that’s one way to put it. I requested that you work on your attitude and focus on becoming an exemplary Blackwell student.”

“Those exact words?” Rachel asked quietly.

Wells simply looked shocked, but otherwise refused to acknowledge Rachel’s quip. Chloe finally couldn’t contain her laughter and briefly howled before regaining her composure. 

“Enough of that, Price. You are aware that your welcome here at Blackwell, and by extension your academic record, is on the line, correct?”

That shut Chloe up immediately. For the first time that afternoon, she was immediately on alert. “I am now, boss.” 

“Good. And yet, you engaged in the following acts on Friday: Insubordinate language,...”

_ “Oh good. Read out my entire case file in front of my mother and my friend’s parents. Why don’t you just give them my birth certificate and be done with it?” _

“And yet, none of that matters! The stains you have left on your permanent record needn’t be discussed on this occasion.”

“Needn’t?” Chloe wasn’t sure what to be more shocked by - Well’s use of grossly outdated contractions or the fact that, apparently, her record wasn’t necessary to the discussion.

“Correct. Because you _ chose _ to sever all ties with Blackwell the second you dragged one of our top students off school grounds without permission on another one of your misadventurous escapades.” Wells put as much ferocity in his voice as he could muster without shouting, and it worked. Chloe, for the first time in months, felt genuinely insulted by Wells first-hand. 

“Misadventurous escapades? Also, what’s this about severing ties?” Chloe narrowed her eyes and leaned forward in her chair. 

Wells looked genuinely upset. “It means you have forced my hand, Chloe. As a consequence of your actions, I have no choice but to-”

“I made her do it.” Rachel interrupted quietly. Everyone gasped in shock, even Chloe. Rachel ignored this, or utilised - Chloe couldn’t tell, and continued. “It was all me. I was having a bad day. I needed to blow of steam and, Chloe was the only one there for me at that time. She said she didn’t want to, she even tried to talk me out of it.”

“Really?” Wells asked.

_ “I… I can’t just lie. But Rachel is trying so hard to defend me… I have to take this chance, right? To save my skin?” _ Chloe thought. She turned to Rachel. _ “Or is it because I just want to do what she wants?” _

“Chloe, is what Rachel is saying true?” Wells asked again.

“Y-” She cleared her throat. “Yeah. Surprisingly, it is. I looked at her and saw a girl with so much potential. A strong girl who hadn’t seen what the world could throw at her yet. A girl, unlike me, who could make it in this world. If she decided to ditch school that day, it would be a long walk down a path you can never go back.”

“Interesting.” Wells leaned back in his chair, analysing Chloe like she were a monkey. “So, if you knew all this, why did you choose to go down that road?” 

“Because…” Chloe faltered. She finally realised what had been driving her to act the way she did for so long. “Because nothing makes me happy anymore. I’ve lost whatever innocence, whatever happiness I had left. That all flew out the window the day my dad died. I chose to become a deranged lunatic because if nobody cares about me, then I’ll finally be free. Finally be happy.” 

Joyce started crying. The Ambers, including Rachel, all looked shocked. The only person who wasn’t showing any emotion was Wells. He simply nodded, like he completely understood. _ “He’s most likely used to shit like this by now, running a school like Blackhell.” _ Chloe noted. _ “It’s probably why he drinks.” _

“I see. Well I’ll admit that does put our situation in a whole different perspective, however, from Rachel’s reaction, this is news to her as well. Anyway, Miss Amber. You may continue.”

“I… I’m so sorry, Chloe.” 

“You have nothing to apologise for. None of this was your fault.” Chloe considered the situation carefully. She thought about how Max would react, in the same position. Max may have always been the voice of reason for Chloe, but she, just like Rachel, would kill themselves to help Chloe and make sure she’s safe. She knew that. She knew better than Joyce, Ryan, Vanessa, Rose, and James ever could. She even knew better than Max or Rachel. _ “Except Max is a genius with ESP now apparently, so maybe she knows more about her heroism than I do.” _Chloe thought. She could feel tears forming in her eyes.

“What are you talking about, Chloe? I just said-” Rachel was beginning to cry as well.

“I know! I know what you were trying to do, but it won’t work.” Chloe stood up. “Believe me I’ve had this a long-time coming.” She knelt down and placed her balled-up fists on Wells’ ornate desk. “Principal Wells, unfortunate as it is, Rachel’s is lying.”

The gasps seem to be rolling in this afternoon. Wells, however, was smirking. “Go on.”

“She may have been upset, that was very apparent, but she didn’t guilt-trip me and she certainly didn’t drag me out of the school.”

“Chloe you don’t have to-”

“Yes, Rachel. I do.” Chloe glared at Rachel, hoping she will take the message. Rachel nodded. Chloe turned back to Wells. “Don’t judge her, she’s only trying to defend me, and I don’t blame her. I would do the same if roles were reversed. It’s true that was Rachel’s idea to leave the school grounds, and I, never missing an opportunity, went with her. If she never asked me to leave, I wouldn’t have, that is the truth. However, I also know that if I said no, she wouldn’t have left either. She needed a friend and a compatriot - someone who didn’t see her as some brilliant star overshadowing everyone, or simply trying to-” she cut herself off before she said something rude. “Well, you know.”

“I do believe I am understanding your insinuation, yes.” Wells said with a disgusted look on his face. 

“Anyway, we ditched school together, on her idea, but the option was entirely up to me. We both needed a mental-health day, but we went about it the wrong way. We are truly sorry. I deserve everything I get, but please, leave Rachel out of this. In the end, the choice was up to me and I chose poorly. On a whim.” Chloe, feeling satisfied, finally takes her hands off the desk and sits back down.

“Well. This certainly paints this situation in a whole new light.” Raymond Wells stood up, straightening up various papers that Chloe had knocked accidentally during her monologue. “Now we know that there was an equal level of responsibility from both parties, and with the knowledge that there may be underlying mental issues that have seemingly gone unchecked, I now know the right punishment for this… mishap. Chloe, your expulsion is now null and void. You may stay studying at Blackwell, after you’ve served two weeks suspension. After that you will serve _ daily _after-school detention for an hour, lasting 4 weeks.”

Chloe sighed and leaned back in her chair. “I’ll take anything at this point.” She looked up at her mother, who was crying. 

“Chloe, these are compulsory. If you do not attend to even _ one _of these mandatory meetings you will be swiftly expelled. Is that understood?”

“No such thing as a billionth chance.” Chloe nodded. “I understand.”

“Good.” Wells turned to Rachel. “As for Miss Amber, even though this is a first offence, it is still a serious one. I understand that she has committed a lot of her time to the play Tempest, so I will try my best to work her schedule around that.”

Rachel sighed a brief breath of relief. Chloe could tell for a second she thought Wells was going to bar her from performing at all.

“I understand you have afternoon rehearsals on a Wednesday, is that correct?”

  
“Yes, Mr. Wells.” Rachel nodded.

“Alright. So in that case, suspension will not be necessary for you, but you will attend the same detentions that Chloe will be attending for the same period of time, except of course on Wednesdays. Please understand, Miss Amber, that while you are nowhere near the stage at which I can expel you, I can forbid you from performing in the Tempest and ask Mr. Keaton to find a new actress. Missing one of these detentions will incur that punishment. Is that understood?”

Rachel choked on air. “Y-yes, Principal Wells.” 

“Good. Now I stated earlier that there may be some underlying mental issues at hand, as Chloe enlightened us about earlier, so I want to address that.” Wells cleared his throat and looked at Joyce and D.A. and Mrs. Amber. “We have recently received a slight boost to our disability funding, but because Chloe is not physically disabled, I cannot help her as much as I would like, or as much as she might need.”

_ “Thank you Wells, your generosity is boundless.” _Chloe thought to herself sarcastically. 

“I understand, however, that finance might be tight in your position, Mrs. Price.”

Joyce looked awkwardly at the Amber parents, and it reminded Chloe of how Joyce sometimes felt around Max’s parents. “I-I-I- yes, but-”

“No need.” James Amber spoke for the first time that afternoon. His voice was quite gravelly, and he spoke slowly. “I’ll take care of it.” 

“James I-” His wife started, but James shushed her. 

“I’ve got this. Trust me.” He said. Rose Amber nodded. Chloe looked at Rachel, who sat in her chair looking straight ahead, fuming silently. Chloe felt sympathy for Rachel, hearing a man who betrayed your trust telling his wife to ‘trust him’ must be awful and very galling on his part, but she also felt incredibly grateful that James Amber seemed willing to help out Chloe and her mother. “I’ve seen many criminals before, but Chloe is not one of them. She’s just as victim to the system as we are. Well, more so, in fact.”

_ “You’re goddamn right.” _Chloe thought, gritting her teeth. 

“Also,” James Amber continued. “Isn’t there supposed to be a monetary aid for children with one or more deceased parent?”

Wells rubbed the back of his head. “Ah well… it’s not strictly speaking the law but-”

“Don’t you lecture _ me _ about the law.” James Amber said coldly but with no change in volume. Chloe couldn’t tell if she’d be more scared _ had _he raised his voice. “I’ve worked in the law for long enough to know that what’s legal, especially in this country, isn’t always morally right. Just because there’s no legal obligation for you to help should not mean there’s no moral obligation. Do you know how many times I’ve been set back by the “law” and preventing me from helping people? My job sometimes throws innocent people in jail, but I still have to do my job, just like you do. And your job is to help kids, simple as that. If you can’t help Chloe now in her time of need, then you’ve failed at your job.” 

_ “Go James Amber!” _Chloe thought to herself. She would have said that out loud, but it’s clear Rachel still resented him somewhat. Joyce was crying even harder now. Wells, on the other hand, was completely stunned. It was very clear that not very many people stand up to him like that. 

“I, uh, well um…” Wells was struggling to find the words.

“Don’t worry Wells. I won’t take you to court for it.” James smiled, escorting his wife out of the office. “That’s up to Joyce. You coming, Rachel?” 

“Ah- just give me a second!” Rachel called out.  


“But I haven’t dismissed-” Wells sighed. “I’ll see to it that you and your daughter get the help you need, Ms. Price.” 

“It’s Mrs. Price, and thank you.” Joyce replied. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I shall be escorting my daughter to the doctor. It’s clear she has some unresolved trauma that her therapists couldn’t seem to handle.”

Chloe laughed nervously, remembering all the useless therapists she had screamed away. _ “I haven’t won this fight yet.” _ She thought to herself. _ “God, how the hell am I gonna explain this to Max? She’ll freak out!” _

“Hey, Chloe…” Rachel got out of her chair and knelt down next to Chloe’s chair. “I’m not gonna bullshit around-”

“Language, Miss Amber. You are still in my office.” Wells said. He had since sat back down in his chair, rubbing his head. He looked very thirsty for a drink that definitely wasn’t water.

“I’m not gonna beat around the bush.” Rachel continued. “What you did today, was incredibly brave, and inspiring. And while I’m mad that you didn’t let me take the fall for you, I’m glad that something good came out of this.”

“Yeah. I finally realised how fu- stuffed up I am.” Chloe replied. 

“No, Chloe. You’re a wonderful person, and I’m finally glad you’re taking the steps to recovery. No-one deserved to go through what you did, but I finally hope whatever happens from now on helps get rid of those demons.”

“With you by my side, those demons will cease to be important.” Chloe smiled. A very real genuine smile. Chloe thought about how rare it was for Joyce to see her smile, so she looked up at her mom. “Everything’s going to be okay. Finally.” Chloe felt tears start to fall down her face. _ “Real tears…” _Chloe thought. Rachel leant over and hugged Chloe tightly, leaving some tears on Chloe’s t-shirt. Chloe hugged back, squeezing Rachel. “You have to let me go at some point.” Chloe said after a couple minutes. “Your parents are waiting for you.” 

“My parents… yeah. Of course.” Rachel smiled and let go. “I’ll guess I’ll see you in 2 weeks.”

“No Rachel, come around tonight. Please. Before the performance. You and me, together. Mom will cook us something.” Chloe gripped Rachel’s hand before she could leave.

“Ah- well I guess I will!” Joyce was completely beside herself. Everything that had happened in the past half-hour had left Joyce distraught. “That would be the first time you’ve been home for dinner in a long time.”

“Haha. Yeah.” Chloe giggled solemnly. 

“You know what? Yeah. I will. Let’s make it a date.” Rachel smiled and walked out of Wells’ office. 

“Everything alright, Mom?” Chloe stood up and faced her mother. Chloe noted that they were almost the same height now. It had been so long since she checked that she had forgotten how tall she was.

“I’m- well! I don’t know, honey. This has all been a major shock for me.” Joyce sniffed. “I’m just glad I have my daughter back.” Joyce hugged her daughter and sobbed.

“You didn’t lose me, Mom.” Chloe said, returning the hug. “I just... lost myself.”

“Come now. We have a lot of work to do to get you sussed out.”


	11. Untimely Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe's life finally starts getting a little better, until she asks Max a pertinent question that was festering in the back of her mind. She won't like the answer.

The Ambers seemed to be waiting for them out the front door of the school. It was a nice afternoon, even though the cool of the evening was beginning to settle in. James Amber greeted Joyce and they exchanged brief pleasantries. To pass the time, Chloe sat on the steps next to Rachel. She reached into her back pocket, and then remembered that she didn’t have cigarettes. She felt bad because she was trying to stop, but she really badly needed one at that moment. 

“Christ.” She muttered. She figured Joyce would be a while.

“That just about sums it up.” Rachel sat in such a way that one leg was up and the other was stretched out down the steps. She leaned back slightly to look at the sky. “Damn. It’s already getting late.”

Chloe checked her watch. “Meh. It’s only 4:30. What time does the show start?”

“7.” 

“Right. I take it you’ll need at least an hour to prepare?”

“If I can shower at your place, yes. Getting there by 6 would be preferred.”

“And it’s just, at the school?” 

“Where else would it be?”

Chloe shrugged. She had never felt more tired in her life. Joyce, seeing this, quickly ceased her conversation with the Ambers. “I better go. I need to get this one to the doctor’s.” She sighed. “Seriously, thank you all so much for your help.”

“Don’t worry about it. Money isn’t exactly tight here, and it’s about time I did something good outside of the courtroom.” James smiled. “Take Rachel with you. We can drop off her stuff at your house later. Here - I’ll give you my number.”

“Sweet. I’ll text you the address right now. Be seeing you.”

“Take care, Joyce.” 

On the ride to the doctor’s Chloe came out to Joyce, saying that she and Rachel were dating. Joyce almost crashed the car in shock. 

“You are just full of surprises today, aren’t you?” Joyce said, causing Rachel to giggle.

“That’s my Chloe.” Rachel smiled.

The doctor they saw referred them to a psychologist, who would further analyse Chloe and get her screened for depression, per the doctor’s suggestion. “There’s definitely some signs of severe trauma that have affected your sleep cycles and mood swings.” The doctor stated. Joyce was beside herself, but Chloe finally felt like she understood what the _ hell _was wrong with her. It was… morbidly comforting. Rachel’s parents came around to drop off Rachel’s stuff only a few minutes after they had just gotten home. 

“Thank you!” Rachel smiled as her parents drove off. “Ugh.” It’s clear Rachel still couldn’t bear to look at her father, and Chloe could tell she felt guilty about that considering what he offered to do for Chloe and Joyce. “I’m gonna go take a shower.”

“Will you be long? Mom’s just cooking dinner now.” 

“I’ll be done by the time dinner has served.”

Chloe nodded. “Cool. I’ll just be in my room. Gonna go ring Max.”

“Oh? You guys are on speaking terms again?”

“Oh yeah. Forgot I didn’t tell you about that. She rang me Saturday morning, apologising profusely.” Chloe blinked. “_ With perfect timing, come to think of it. The day I had a million stories to tell her. _” 

“Well that’s good. I’m happy for you.” Rachel smiled, and disappeared upstairs into the bathroom. Chloe sauntered slowly upstairs, each step aching. It had been such a long day, and with The Tempest that evening, it was far from over. She finally reached her bedroom and fell backwards onto her bed.

“God.” She sighed out loud. She suddenly regretted that overly-honest vent of emotions in Wells’ office. “Now everyone’s gonna think I’m made of glass.” Although she admitted it felt nice that people actually cared about her for once. She was also grateful David wasn’t making a show tonight, probably by Joyce’s request. Chloe never realised how perceptive her mother was. She suddenly remembered what she came upstairs to do, and pulled out her phone. Few missed texts from various people, including Elliot, who had blown up her phone with abundant but sporadic texts, clearly in worry. “Wish that guy would fuck off and calm down sometimes. He’s starting to get a bit obsessive.” Chloe simply ignored all the texts and dialled Max’s number.

Immediate response. 

“Hey! Chloe!” Max called excitedly. 

“Didn’t frighten you, did I?” Chloe replied, half smugly half legitimately concerned.

“No, of course not.” Max giggled, giving herself away. “How are you?”

“I’ve… had a rough day. I wanted to talk to my best friend.”

“What happened? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“No of course I don’t mind. That’s why I rang you, silly.” Chloe chuckled. “I got sent to the Principal’s office for what happened on Friday.”

“Oh damn!” Max replied as if she had never been to the principal’s office before. “What happened? What did they say?”

“Wells was furious. He acted like I burned down the school or something.”

“I wouldn’t joke about that.” Max said seriously, and Chloe suddenly remembered the forest fire.

“Oh. Right.” Chloe coughed. “Anyway, he was very ready to expel me, but Rachel stood up for me. Told an overly-convoluted and bold-faced lie to try and get Wells off my back.”

“What did you do?” 

“Told the truth, for once.”

“Damn. That’s impressive.” Max said sarcastically.

“Shut up.” Chloe giggled. “Anyway I kinda just blabbed to everyone about my fucked mental state.”

“Your what?”

“It took me this long, but I finally realise how fucked up I was after dad died. I went to the doctor and he said there’s definitely signs of trauma that has fucked with my behaviour, mood swings, and sleep cycles. He referred me to a specialist so that I can get properly screened for Major Depression.”

“Majo-” Max started. “Holy shit.” She whispered under her breath. “I didn’t realise it would be that bad…”

“Huh? What did you say?” Chloe asked. 

“Ah- nothing. I was just shocked, that’s all.” Max said hurriedly. 

“Yeah. Wells took my mental issues into account and decided not to expel me. Instead I’m suspended for the next two weeks and then I have a month’s worth of detention. An hour a day, right after school.”

“Shit. That’s fucked.”

“Yeah. It’s not all bad though, Rachel will be sharing it with me 4 days a week.” 

“Well that’s… good I guess?”

“Every cloud has a silver lining.”

“I’m happy to hear that you two are growing closer. Even if the circumstances of your relationship are… unique.” 

“Yeah, about that…” Chloe said. She wasn’t sure how to approach this. She could just be complete batshit crazy and overthinking it - after all, she already knew that her mental health had deteriorated - but she felt that Max truly knew more than she was letting on. “I was thinking about the day my dad died.”

“I’m not sure I see how Rachel and your dad are related, but go on?” Max replied.

“More specifically, I was thinking about what you said, right before Mom came home.”

“Uh huh...” Max’s voice was beginning to falter, so Chloe pressed on.

“You told me that one day, someone will ask to take a leap of faith, and that person might become my lover. You also specified ‘she’.” Chloe paused. “What the hell did you mean by that?”

“I uh…”

“Max, did you know what was going to happen? Is that why you stopped calling for two months? And why you oh-so conveniently rang me the _ day after _the fires?”

“Shit.” Max mumbled. “I didn’t think you’d figure it out so quickly.”

“What the hell, Max?” Chloe was scared shitless. “What do you mean, ‘figure it out’? How much do you know? What have you been hiding!?” Chloe kept raising her voice, unsure whether it was out of anger or fear.

“You weren’t supposed to-” Max stopped. “God. I can’t believe this.” She sighed. “Ok. I’ll tell you. But there’s no way in hell you’ll believe me.” 

*

Max couldn’t breathe. This couldn’t be happening. _ “How the hell did she figure it out? Was I really that obvious?” _She realised she kinda was, but she also didn’t expect Chloe to remember that day so vividly. “Where the hell do I start?” She sighed audibly.

“Any time soon would suffice. Rachel will be out the shower any minute.”

“She’s with you?” Max’s situation was going from bad to worse. There’s no way in hell that Rachel could hear any of this. _ “Mind you, there’s no way Chloe can either.” _

“Yeah! She’s having dinner here before we all head off to The Tempest. She’s performing.”

“Right.” Max remembered Chloe saying she was a good actress. She inhaled deeply then exhaled just as deeply. “Ok.” Max felt more comfortable pointing a gun at Frank then she did right then. “God where do I start?”

“You said that already.”

“Sorry. Time’s a bit… jumbled for me, so to speak.” She hoped that wasn’t too vague.

“Time?” Chloe’s voice squeaked a little. “Max? What are you trying to say?”

“I’m not actually 14 years old. I’m 19.” Max said.

Chloe laughed.

Max sighed. “I thought you might respond that way.”

“No no, I’m sorry. Please, continue. I can decide at the end whether or not I believe you.”

Max started crying. “It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. We were supposed to run into each other at Blackwell, you’d pick me up in your awesome truck, we’d head back to your place, and then we meet for breakfast the next day at the Two Whales and I’d tell you everything…”

“Woah. Okay. That’s oddly specific. Too specific for you to make up.” 

“That’s because it actually happened. Well, will happen.”

“W- Max?”

“It all started in October 2013. I study photography at Blackwell, taught by none other than Mark Jefferson.”

“I see.” Chloe said. She was clearly thinking back to when Max warned her about him. Max regarded at how polite Chloe was being and letting her talk. It was a nice change. Or maybe Chloe was wondering where Max was going. Either way, Max knew she had to continue.

“I… must have passed out in class or something I don’t know, but I had a vision of a category 6 tornado destroying Arcadia Bay. It felt so real and so horrible, like I was actually at the lighthouse.”

“Category 6? Holy shit. Also the lighthouse? We haven’t been there since we were kids.”

“I know. That’s why I thought it was so weird.” Max breathed in, trying her hardest to keep her composure. “I felt like I was going to have a breakdown, so after class I immediately went to the bathroom to cry.”

“Fair enough.”

“Then who walks in but Nathan-fucking-Prescott.”

“Ok. This is fucked up. You haven’t even _ met _him yet, how could you possibly know him!? Unless-” Chloe stopped. “Unless what you’re saying is actually true.”

“Need more convincing?” Max asked. “I am classmates with Victoria Chase and Dana Ward, and my best friend - ah, apart from you obviously - is Warren Graham.”

“All of them go to Blackwell, and none of them have met you yet.” Chloe exhaled audibly. “Ok. Colour me convinced. What next?”

“Nathan Prescott enters the bathroom - the girl’s bathroom, at that.”

“Ok…”

“He starts babbling to himself, he was having another one of his panic meltdowns.”

“Ok so he gets worse…” Chloe sounded like she felt bad all of a sudden.

“He was going on about how he ‘owned the school’ and that if he wanted to, he could ‘blow it up’.”

“Ok that’s frightening, but somewhat true.”

“Then who walks in afterwards, but Chloe Price. I didn’t recognise you at first cause I couldn’t see you from where I was hiding and your voice sounded different. It sounded like you two had arranged a meeting in the girl’s bathroom.” Max coughed. “These were your words exactly: ‘I hope you checked the perimeter, as my step-ass would say.”

“St- Step-ass?” Chloe asked. “You’re seriously not saying that Mom actually _ marries _ that asshat?”

“That’s what you’re concerned about here? I haven’t told you what happened or what the meeting was about yet.”

“Sorry. I just don’t like thinking about David.” 

“Yeah well you’ll feel the same about Nathan after I tell you what happens.”

“Ok well now I’m terrified. Continue.”

“I think… you were trying to blackmail him.”

“For what?” 

“I’ll… tell you later. I’m just trying to tell you the events as they happen. Anyway, he gets really mad at you, and…”

“And…?” Chloe had never sounded so frightened. She sounded like she was 9 years old again.

“And pulls a gun on you.”

“A _ gun!? _” Chloe yells.

“Yeah, and then obviously you start panicking, and then he starts panicking, and shoots you. Dead.”

Silence. 

“Do you want me to continue?”

“There’s more!?” Chloe coughed. “I mean, of course you can. I’m just... trying to process that. Me, dead before I hit 21…” 

“Well, not so. You see after you got shot, I ran out from my hiding spot for… whatever reason. I held out my right hand, and suddenly I felt my head start spinning and my vision blurred. Then all of a sudden I was back in class, hearing the exact same lecture 20 minutes ago. I knew I had gone back in time because three things happened in class earlier happened again: Taylor throw a paper ball at Kate, Victoria’s phone rang, and Victoria answered a question about Diane Arbus. Not to mention the time on my phone read 20 minutes ago as well.”

“Ok well that’s… weird.”

“I discovered I could reverse time, if only for a few minutes. I knocked my camera onto the ground and broke it by accident, I held up my right hand and sure enough, the camera rose back up onto the table in perfect reverse, fully repaired, and Victoria repeated her sentence.”

“So what, the first time was just a complete fluke?” 

“I guess. I’m still not sure how that happened. Anyway, after several attempts, I managed to get out of class as soon the bell rang, and ran into the bathroom. I played out everything I did earlier: Tore up my photo, washed my face, and took the picture of the blue butterfly that flew in.”

“Blue butterfly huh…”

“Then as soon as you walked in, I set everything up: There was a cleaning cart next to where I was hiding, and there was a hammer inside, so I used that to break the glass of the fire alarm and press it.”

“Wow. Quick thinking Max.”

“I heard you get shot 5 times before I succeeded.”

“Oh.”

“Anyway, I heard you shove Nathan and run out of the bathroom, and naturally the school got evacuated. I told Wells Nathan had a gun and-”

“Well that was dumb-”

“You already told me this. Or will. God this is confusing.” 

“You’re telling me.”

“Yeah. From there a bunch of supernatural shit started happening, and the world wasn’t ready for you to stay alive yet.”

“W-What do you mean?”

“It meant over the course of that week, I watched you die a total of four times, all in equally horrible ways.”

“God… What about the supernatural shit?”

Max cleared her throat. “Well, snowing in October was the first one. Not overly abnormal, except it was like 80 degrees out.”

“The fuck?”

“Yeah it started getting weirder. Unscheduled total eclipses, birds just dropping out of the sky, dozens of whales washing up on the beach all at once, and even two moons appearing in the sky at one point.”

“That’s so weird… And you felt like all of those were alluding to the tornado.”

“Considering it was scheduled to hit that Friday, yes.”

“Oh my god… So how did you end up in the past?”

“I’m sorry Chloe. You’re not gonna like this, but let’s just say there’s a reason why I warned you about Mark Jefferson.”

“Oh god…” Chloe was choking back tears. She was clearly terrified. “Go on.”

“We were doing an investigation together…” Max could hardly speak. But she had to tell Chloe the truth. “On the sudden and mysterious disappearance of Rachel Dawn Amber.”

“No. No way. Now I know you’re lying. This has to be some sick fucking joke, right? You’re deliberately trying to make me upset, you snake. Fuck you!”

“No Chloe, I’m not. God I wish I were but it’s the truth. 3 years in the future, Rachel goes missing, and no-one gives a shit about it except you. We don’t even know anything about her parents. You convinced me to help you look, and by that stage it had already been a few months since she went missing.”

“I don’t wanna hear about this.” Chloe was sobbing. Max felt horrible. To hear that the woman you love, who at that instance was showering in your own house, _disappears under mysterious circumstances in three years time _must have been awful. “But…” She sighed. “I know I have to. Please, go on. I’ll- I’ll listen.”

“Eventually, we find her in the junkyard. Buried.”

Max heard a loud bang followed by an “Ow!”

“Sorry. I just- punched the wall.”

“Yeah. After connecting several dots we concluded that Nathan Prescott had drugged Rachel and killed her.”

“That son of a bitch! I always knew he was obsessed but- UGH! I’ll kill him!” Chloe snarled. 

“Stop!” Max cried, and Chloe did. “It wasn’t him, well, he may have drugged her, but it wasn’t really him. You know how Nathan is a little weird?”

“A little? After today I’d say he’s royally fucked up.”

“Well, after I got used to my abilities, I became very good at snooping. At one point we even broke into Wells’ office to read a bunch of files, which gave our first indication that Nathan was behind her disappearance.”

“Sick.”

“I found some email and text exchanges between Nathan and his father, as well as some other shit like letters from psychologists. Turns out, Nathan actually has some form of severe psychosis that his father refuses to do anything about, and essentially, from now on, Nathan’s mental health is going to seriously decline, not to mention his father is an abusive piece of shit, trying to shape Nathan into ‘taking over the Prescott legacy’ instead of letting him do what he wants to do, which is photography.”

“Oh my God I… I didn’t even realise.” Chloe chuckled. “Heh. I should get him on the same mental health program Wells gave me.”

“So. Nathan goes seeking out for a mentor, a father figure, if you will. And who better than Mark Jefferson, a famed photographer and now teacher?”

“Oh. Alright. So are you saying-”

“Yes. Even though Nathan did drug and kill Rachel, it was under the guidance of Mark Jefferson, a fucked-up creep who kidnaps young women, drugs them, and takes photographs of them in his bunker, which Nathan funded with his father’s money.”

“What. The. Fuck.” Chloe said slowly. “That’s… I don’t even know how to describe how fucked up that is.”

“By the way, that was the very thing you were blackmailing Nathan for, you just didn’t know how large the scale was.”

“Holy shit.” 

“But, you and Rachel wouldn’t be the only one. It happened to my friend Kate Marsh, who, I might add, almost jumped off a ROOF because of the sheer trauma and bullying that came out of it. It almost happened to Victoria Chase, and…” Max trailed off, and began sobbing.

“It… happened to you.” Chloe said slowly and softly.

“It was horrible! We got a tip from Nathan’s phone that he was at the junkyard about to get rid of Rachel’s body late on Thursday night so we ran out to where she was, but it was a trap. I got drugged so I couldn’t use my powers, you tried to pull your gun out and-”

“Wait, I had a gun!? Must have stolen it from David…” Chloe cleared her throat. “Ah- Sorry. Carry on.”

“You were too late. Mark Jefferson shot you in the head. And this time I couldn’t bring you back.”

“Mark- Holy shit.”

“And you can’t do anything about it cause it hasn’t happened yet!”

“So wait- in your timeline or whatever, Rachel’s dead, Nathan gets groomed into a psycho killer-”

“Don’t call him psycho, you know how fucked up his mental state is.”

“Sorry. Nathan gets groomed into becoming a kidnapper and murderer, Mark Jefferson shoots me and kills me, and you get drugged and trapped in a bunker. Wow. And I thought _ my _life was fucked.”

“Not to mention the tornado.”

“Oh yeah. Right. Shit, better hurry. Rachel’s finished in the shower.”

  
“Okay. So Mark takes a few photos of me, monologuing on how he’d been doing this sick act for years, stating how he was practically turned on by loss of innocence, hence why he targeted young women.”

“Ew. That’s so fucked up.” 

“After a few photos, I start to become less comatose, so I try to use my powers.”

“And?”

“Something... weird happened. Just like the time Kate Marsh was on the roof, time stopped. But I also felt the same sensation I did when Nathan first shot you, and then I woke up in your attic in the year 2008.”

“The day my dad died.”

“The day your dad died.”

“Holy shit. So what, you’ve been influencing my actions all this time?”

“In a way, yes. I was mostly just changing my own actions, if anything. In the original timeline, you went off the rails WAY earlier, cause I was a piece of shit and never contacted you. I originally moved to Seattle the day of the funeral.”

“Holy shit. Asshole.”

“Yeah. I made no effort to be the friend that you needed, so you got into some bad shit. Drugs, breaking curfew, being rude to Joyce, you even got expelled from Blackwell.”

“Well some of those did or almost did happen, so…”

“But it was way worse. Anyway you met Rachel, you were finally happy, then she said she met someone and she just vanished. I believe that someone was Mark Jefferson, even though we originally thought it was some drug dealer she had a fling with, so now I’m making sure that doesn’t happen.”

“God, I can’t believe the situation you’re in… good on you for not losing your mind or whatever.”

“Heh. I get nightmares every night. That week was hell.”

“I don’t blame you.” Chloe was silent for a few seconds, then spoke again. “But wait, if you went back to the day my dad died, why didn’t you stop it?”

Max started sobbing again.

“Oh. Weren’t able to?”

“No, it’s just that at that stage, I had already done it.”

“Then how-”

“I’ll explain: Another aspect of my powers is that it allows me to travel back to a certain time through a photograph. I was bound by whatever physicalities were in place, there was like some weird glowing walls. Anyway, I accidentally used that in the original timeline to go back to where your dad died, and I made sure it wouldn’t happen again. And it worked! I throw your dad’s keys at the window and encouraged him to take the bus.”

“Wow! Go you! So what happened?”

“You’re a scientist, right?”

“Hardly.”

“You know the law of equivalent exchange?”

“Oh God my Mom didn’t-”

“No, it wasn’t your Mom.”

Silence. 

“Me?” Chloe said after a few seconds.

“Sort of. Your dad died in a car crash, right? So the world decided when that didn’t happen, it would transfer the car crash to you instead, but you survived.”

“That’s good… right?”

“You were paralysed from the neck down, and you were costing your parents millions in hospital bills.”

“Holy shit.”

“I immediately knew something was wrong when I woke up in 2013 and discovered I was in the Vortex Club, best friends with Victoria Chase.”

“Ok yeah that is fucked. Glad we can bond over our hatred for Victoria.”

“That was when I first saw the whales, too. Dozens of them, all washed up on the beach. I took the bus to your house, and there he was. Good ol’ William Price, at the door.” 

“Wow. You actually saw my dad again.”

“Then I see the wheelchair, moving you along via your brainwaves.”

“Stephen Hawking-style.”

“At least he has a finger to move. Anyway I spent the night with you and…”

“What?”

“The next morning, you told me to euthanise you with morphine. And I did… cause I loved you and would do anything for you, as much as it hurt.”

“You- I- what? Holy shit.”

“Two years, you had suffered, and your lungs were beginning to fail. You would have died anyway, at least this way you’d save your parents a few weeks worth of bills.”

“Christ Almighty.”

“I used the same photo to go back and reverse everything, even though I knew you would be pissed. I didn’t want to lose my best friend.”

“I… I forgive you. No-one should have to go through what you did.”

“Same with you. But luckily we can stop it all from happening from here on out, together.”

“Yeah. I just still can’t believe you had to watch me die.”

“What’s this about you dying?” A voice called from far away.

“Rachel!?” Chloe cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda made this happen a little earlier than I wanted to, but I was out of ideas whoops
> 
> Edit: I realised I made a MASSIVE hole in the timeline so I've edited this chapter and the previous chapter to hopefully cover those. Sorry


	12. Black-hellish Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel's first encounter with Max isn't exactly a warm welcome riddled with ice-breakers as Chloe is beside herself. Meanwhile, Max's head begins to hurt tremendously, and time does not seem to be on Max's side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made this when I should have been studying. Enjoy.
> 
> Also I'm gonna be moving out in a few days so I probably won't be updating for a while, but it'll be the summer holidays for me so I'll have plenty of time to write then! Hopefully the story will be finished by the time I began studying next year.

"I'm serious, what the hell are you talking about with Max?"

Max gulped. There was no way Chloe was gonna worm out of this one. 

"Ah- nothing! Just a nightmare Max had last night, that's all." 

"You're a horrible liar, Chloe. I'm not sure how your mother falls for it." Rachel's voice sounded bright, yet very far away, like a beacon at the end of a long tunnel.

Chloe sighed. "I'm sorry Rachel. You shouldn't have to find out, especially in this way." Chloe wept. 

"What the hell, Chloe!? Just tell me!" Rachel yelled, and Max heard something crash.

"Alright! You don't have to destroy the place. Give me a sec." Chloe sighed again. "Max, I'm handing you over to Rachel. Explain everything."

"Everything?" 

"As weird as unbelievable as it is, yes. She'll need all the context."

"Okay... Are you sure she'll believe me?"

Chloe paused for a few seconds. "If I believe you, so will she."

After a few seconds, Rachel’s voice called down the line. “Hi Max.” She spoke only slightly coldly, but it was enough to send a shudder down Max’s spine. 

“Hi… Rachel.” Max barely got that sentence out. She wasn’t sure why, but hearing Rachel’s voice was making her heart race even more.

“Care to explain what the fuck’s going on?” Rachel said, clearly trying her hardest not to raise her voice, with little success.

Max gulped. “Okay. So here’s what I told Chloe. You ready?”

“Guess not, but go ahead.”

Max relayed to Rachel everything she said to Chloe, answering her questions all along the way. Where Chloe responded with tears and sympathy, Rachel was simply speechless. Max wasn’t sure how Rachel would process it, but she didn’t think the star actress would be dead silent. 

A muffled voice shouted from far away, so Rachel responded. “I… I’ll have to process this later. Big show tonight, right Chloe?”

‘Yeah… haha.” Chloe laughed nervously. “See you later, Max.” 

“Talk to you soon, Chloe. Break a leg, Rachel.” 

“Heh. Better than being drugged and murdered. At least I know which jackasses to stay away from. Nice to finally talk to you, Max. Although I wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Me too. Bye you guys.” Max said sadly. As she hung up and put down her phone, she quickly felt her stomach lurch and her head began to spin. “Urgh! Not now! I haven’t even used my powers for a while.” This migraine was especially bad. Her head felt like it was getting hit by a jackhammer and she badly wanted to throw up. Colour slowly faded from her vision, and she started seeing specks in the corner of her eyes. “What the fuck…?” Was the last thing she said before collapsed face-down onto the floor.

*

“AHH!” Max screamed as she was suddenly jolted into position.

“Wow, you okay there?” Came a scarily familiar voice from behind her.

“W-” Max was stunned. She couldn’t believe who she was looking at. There was no way in hell this could be happening. She made every effort to not say his name out loud. _ “Warren!?” _

“Hey, you see seem kinda lost. Everything alright?” The man named Warren Graham stood facing her, genuine concern in his eyes. “Come on, we best get to our rooms. I’ll help you with your stuff if you’d like, I don’t have very much.”

“That’s… very kind of you.” Max said slowly. “_ This can’t be real.” _ She thought. _ “This has to be some sort of dream, or hallucination. I can’t be here, not now!” _ She thought it strange that she met Warren at this instance, even if it was a dream. She looked at the stuff Warren was pointing at. Bits and bobs of random stuff, everything seeming utterly trivial to her at that point. She looked down at herself. _ “Yes I’m definitely taller.” _ Her jeans were ripped at the knees, and she wore a plain black t-shirt and a plaid jacket. _ “Clearly my wardrobe has had some influence.” _She thought to herself. Her trusty handbag was slung over her right shoulder, which suddenly felt very sore now that she was paying attention to it. She promptly moved it to her other arm, careful not to drop the camera in her other hand. She glanced at the camera briefly, utterly mesmerised by the old yellow polaroid that had guided her through the first half of a nasty week. 

“You can’t expect me to carry everything, right?” Warren said from behind her. “I may be a gentleman, but I’m not exactly a regular at the gym.”

“Sorry! Away with the fairies haha.” Max replied, and quickly jogged over to help him. There were only a few boxes and her suitcase, so everything could be taken - albeit rather awkwardly - in one trip. _ “I wish I was away with the fairies.” _Max thought, gritting her teeth. She looked up at the huge orange-brick complex in front of her. 

“Blackwell.” Max breathed out loud. “How dastardly grand.”

“A little daunting, isn’t it?” Warren huffed as he struggled with the boxes. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.”

_ “I already have. What I’m not used to is being thrust forward three years in time completely randomly.” _ Max felt odd. That was the first time she had actually went _ forward _ in time. It wasn’t her doing, but when her powers acted on their own they tended to send her backward. _ “What the hell is going on with me!? _” Max felt her thoughts fester in the back of her mind like a prion, feeding on all of her energy. She decided to ignore it and focussed on carrying her belongings to her new home. As she exited the elevator with Warren (who at this stage was on the verge of collapsing) in tow, and who should be waiting outside her room other than- 

“CHLOE! RACHEL!” Max screamed excitedly, dropping everything in front of the elevator doors and running up to them. 

“Hey hey my star photographer!” Chloe held out her arms as Max jumped into her arms for a hug. Max’s hair ruffled into Chloe’s shoulder, so Chloe brushed it out of Max’s eyes and smiled. “You seem happy.”

“You seem blue.” Max laughed, pointing at her hair. 

“You like it? It definitely wasn’t influenced by any of my friends ever. Completely a rash decision I made on the fly.” Chloe laughed. 

“You could say it was…” Rachel paused for effect, trying her hardest not to laugh.

“Oh God Rachel please no.” Chloe rolled her eyes.

“Out of the blue!” Rachel finished, looking very proud of herself. “Ow!” She cried as Chloe punched her arm. 

“She’s been using that joke for the past 6 months.” Chloe said to Max. 

“But Max hadn’t heard it yet!” Rachel protested.

“Not in person, you mean.” Max said in a playful tone, and hugged Rachel. 

“Oh if you insist.” Rachel smiled and returned the hug. “Chloe’s missed you. So have I.”

“It has been a while, huh?” Max figured she would meet Rachel in person at some point. There was a certain familiarity to Rachel’s hugs, she could feel it deep within her.

“Over a year, you swine.” Chloe said jokingly. “Hey your boy-toy over there looks like he needs help.” Chloe smirked her regular smug smirk that Max knew all too well. 

“Grow up, Chloe. I don’t even know his name yet.” She said casually with a dark glare in her eyes. “You shouldn’t have carried that much all by yourself, you dolt.” Max jokingly admonished. 

“What can I say? I’m a gentleman.” Warren replied through an incredibly strained voice.

“A gentleman who tries too hard.” Max smiled. She grabbed a couple boxes off the large stack Warren was carrying and dumped them on the floor. Without missing a beat, Chloe and Rachel moved over to carry some of the boxes. 

“Jesus Christ, Warren.” Rachel huffed as she picked up one of the boxes he was carrying. “This weighs a ton.”

“I don’t feel a thing.” Chloe said, casually carrying a box under each arm. Rachel looked away and coughed. Max blushed, making sure Chloe couldn’t see her. “Your room’s over here, Supermax.” Chloe walked down to the end of the hallway and gestured to the door with her head. 

“Supermax?” Warren questioned. “Interesting name.”  
  


“Um.. It’s Max.” Max said awkwardly. She wasn’t sure why she felt awkward, she already knew Warren. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Warren.” He shifted the one box he was carrying into one arm, balancing it one leg as used his other hand to shake hers. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Max smiled. She suddenly remembered how much she liked Warren. Regardless of his intentions, he was just a genuinely nice guy who respected her space and intentions. _ “To some extent.” _She thought grimly, remembering the various times he blow up her phone while she’d been taking a nap. “Thanks guys.” She said as she opened her day to her room, dragging her suitcase in behind her. “Wow.” She breathed. She have already seen her room, but seeing it again for the first time was still enough to take her breath away. High up with a window overlooking the field, a large space with plenty of room. A old-looking but undamaged blue couch to the side, and a large desk. 

“Pretty amazing huh?” Chloe smiled.

“There’s just something so fascinating about an empty dorm room.”

“Preach that, sistah.” Chloe laughed. “Anyway. Gotta dash. My shift starts soon.” Max looked confused, so Chloe explained. “I work at the diner now, remember?”

“Oh. Right.” Max said. “Sorry, I’m not exactly in touch with reality at the moment.”

Chloe started wide-eyed at her and mouthed the word “Time?” and Max nodded. Chloe swore under her breath. 

“Adjusting to change can be hard. But you’ll get through it, Max.” Rachel smiled, although it was clear she also understood the gravity of the situation. She turned to Warren. “Thank you Warren, I’m sure Max appreciates all of your help. I can help her from here on out.”

“You sure?” Warren said, and Rachel nodded. He gave a thumbs up to Rachel and waved to Max. “See you later, Supermax!” He called as he walked towards the stairs. 

“Everything alright?” Rachel said once Warren was gone, suddenly a lot more concerned. 

Max shook her head. “I’m so fucked.” She sat down on her sheetless bed put her head in her hands. 

“Is this another time jump?” Rachel asked as she closed the door. “Like when you woke up in Chloe’s attic?”

Max shook her head again. “I don’t know. It felt the same? But this time I went forward instead of backward? I’m so confused.”

“Here. Lucky I brought my bag with me.” Rachel reached into her backpack and pulled out a water bottle. “I planned to help you unpack since I have nothing to do for the rest of the day, so I figured bringing a bottle would be worth it.”

“Thanks Rachel.” Max sighed as she grabbed the bottle, letting its watery contents pour down her throat. She realised how thirsty she was. Her head was already beginning to clear slightly. “Cripes, I think I’m getting a headache. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay. Where were you? And when did you… wake up?” Rachel was finding it difficult to say what she was trying to say, but Max understood. 

“I came to my senses just outside Blackwell, with all my stuff. The bus had already driven off, I think. That’s where I met Warren, or rather when he met me. Last place I remember? I was in my room at home and… Oh God…”

“What?”

“I’m trying to remember… Okay. I had just gotten off the phone. I was in the process of putting my phone down on the bedside table when my migraine flared up.”

“Do you remember who you were calling?”

“I-” She cut herself short. “I believe it was you. The day I told you everything.”

“Shit Max that was three years ago!” Rachel cried. She quickly looked around before lowering her voice. “You’ve missed so much!”

“Like what?” 

“Pretty much everything with my dad.” Rachel sighed. “Turns out he wasn’t cheating. The woman he kissed at the Overlook was my mother. My birth mother.”

“What?” Max cried.

“Yeah! He’d been hiding her from me for years. She was a heroin addict.”

“Holy shit…” 

“He claimed it was for my protection, and while I suppose there was some truth to it, I fully believe it was so it wouldn’t taint his reputation as the DA.”

“What did you do?”

“Hunted her down, of course!” Rachel laughed. “That went well.”

“What do you mean? Did you find her?”

“Oh of course we found her, but Chloe decided to get in trouble with some drug dealers at the same time. So it got hairy very quickly.”

“What!? But I told her-”

“It wasn’t for her. A friend of hers… his brother owed this guy money, and Chloe swooped in to protect him. Got herself hurt, of course.”

“How badly?”

“Oh she only got a concussion. Her friend on the other hand.” She sighed. “He broke his wrist. Badly. Couldn’t write for months. Poor kid was already disabled. Asthma and some other shit I think.” 

“Shit…” 

“But it meant the dealer, Damon I think he was called, went on the fucking warpath. Hunting her down and shit. Chloe did some snooping around my dad’s office to find out where my mom could be and it turns out my dad and this Damon guy were in cahoots.”

“Holy shit.”

“Yeah.” Rachel let out a weak laugh. “Whatever respect I had left for my dad flew out the window that day. My dad hides his own daughter’s mother away from her and is a corrupt DA? I’m surprised his wife didn’t leave him.”

“Probably in on it.” 

“Not on the corruption, no. She did give him hell for it though.” Rachel sat down on the bed next to Max. “Dad confessed and said that’s part of why he gave so much to Chloe’s family. He was starting to feel guilty, but he couldn’t exactly quit his operation without us getting hurt.”

“Wow... “ Max felt like she wasn’t really contributing much, but she felt it better to let Rachel vent. 

“As much as I hate my dad, a part of me can see that he only wanted to protect me. He just went about it the complete roundabout way.”

“Understatement.”

“Chloe got a lead, and we started chasing it. Ran into this guy called Frank. We met him before.”

“Frank…” Max said. 

“Yeah. You met him, right? Like in the future or whatever?”

“We did. Wasn’t exactly kind.”

“Years hadn’t been kind to him, and I could tell from when I met him in the junkyard.”

Max shuddered. 

“Frank brought Damon so we could to an understanding, but when Damon saw Chloe he flipped his shit. Chloe responded in the Chloe-way and started talking back, making him more and more upset. Damon pulled out a knife and Chloe immediately backed off.”

“Yikes… then what?”

“Damon looked like he was gonna stab Chloe, so I smacked him in the head with a plank of wood.”

“Ha! Nice work!”

“Yeah, but not hard enough.” Rachel said sadly, tears forming in his eyes. She slowly lifted up one side of her shirt up to the armpit, revealing a large scar that ran down to her chest. “That’s the scar from where Damon stabbed me.”

“Holy crap.” Max breathed. It was somewhat beautiful, in an incredibly morbid way. That was just the effect Rachel had on Max, and she wondered if this was how Chloe felt. 

“Chloe’s quick thinking saved my life. She quickly picked me up and drove me to the hospital. Frank fended Damon off. I’m not sure what exactly happened, but the next time we saw Frank, he looked like he had the whole weight of the world on his shoulders, and he was carrying a photo of him and Damon in his pocket.”

“He… He killed him?”

“Frank wouldn’t say, but I assume so, since we never saw Damon again.” Rachel sighed. “All to protect me and Chloe.”

“Did you and Frank ever…?” Max started to ask before shaking her head. “Stupid question.”

“No, although I almost did. Chloe clung to me like a puppy after I got stabbed, worrying your nightmarish future was going to come true. I warned Frank about Jefferson and Nathan and told him to get out of Arcadia Bay, and he did. He clearly had feelings for me which, as someone who wasn’t even 17 yet, made me incredibly uncomfortable, and I’m sure he was aware of it. He clearly cared about me and Chloe for whatever reason, so he listened to us.” 

“Where is he now?” 

“Fuck if I know. And hell if I care. Anyway: Once I came out of hospital, we met my mom, get tattoos, and got the fuck out of Arcadia Bay.”

“Where’d you go?”

  
“We barely had enough to get to Portland, even with what we got from my dad. We were there for like a year and then Chloe missed Joyce too much and we went back. I lived there for a year but agreed to move to Blackwell at the beginning of the school year.”

“Where do you get the money to go here?”

“My dad still feels guilty for everything, so he pays for everything. I agreed to keep everything under wraps in return. Well, anything that didn’t already get revealed to the press. Despite Chloe’s best efforts, word spread quick that I got stabbed. Hard to have secrets when your daughter gets stabbed. The next month at Blackwell was absolute hell for me. Everyone looking at me like some sort of freak. Well, at least I didn’t have as many random boys trying to ask me out. But that was probably because me and Chloe were _ very _open about our relationship. We actually got told off for making out in the hallway.”

Max giggled. “What I wouldn’t give...” 

“One day, Max.” Rachel laughed. “That boy out there took a shine to you.”

Max mimed a dry-retch, causing Rachel to laugh harder. 

“Come on, let’s actually unpack.”

“Good idea.”

From the room across from Max’s, a male voice gave a blood-curdling scream. 


	13. Sunshine and Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain man isn't in a good spot. Max tries desperately to help him. Afterwards, she meets someone with a dark story about the man's past.

“What the fuck?” Rachel cried.

“Shit that sounds like-”

“Prescott?!”

Max bolted out her bedroom door and slammed open Victoria Chase’s door.

“What the fuck?!” Victoria cried. “Who the fuck are you?”

“Never mind me! Is he alright?” Max responded, gesturing to Nathan, who was lying down on the floor, curled up in a ball with his hands over his head.

“STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!” Nathan cried, but it didn’t seem like it was directed at Max or Rachel, or even Victoria. 

“OF COURSE HE’S NOT ALRIGHT!” Victoria yelled. She was clearly panicking. “It’s fine.” She breathed. “This happens a lot, it’s best if you just leave him alone. He’ll be fine in a few minutes.”

“You sure?”

“PLEASE! JUST LET ME LIVE MY LIFE THE WAY I WANT TO!” Nathan cried. 

“I don’t know! This is the worst I’ve seen him.” Victoria was beginning to cry.

“It’ll be alright, Chase. Max has got this.” Rachel said soothingly. 

“Rachel-?” Victoria started, but shook her head. “Go on. His name is Nathan.” She said to Max. 

Max nodded, and knelt down besides Nathan, keeping a fair distance to start with. _ “Better have my powers ready.” _Max thought. “Hey. It’s alright.” Max said to Nathan. 

Nathan lifted one arm and opened an eye to look at Max. “Who the fuck are you?” Nathan snarled. He wasn’t screaming as loud, he was more angry and curious rather than fearful now. Max saw this opportunity and took it.

“My name is Max. You’re in Victoria’s room. I live just across from her.”

Nathan sat up slightly and looked around. “Victoria’s room…” He said slowly.

“Are you alright?”

“What the hell are you asking me these questions for? Get the fuck away from me!”

_ “Bad answer.” _Max held up her right hand for just a few seconds.

“Victoria’s room…” 

“Can you tell me what’s wrong? I might be able to help.”

“No. There’s nothing you can do. There’s nothing anyone in this stupid school can do!”

“This school does suck I’ll tell you that much.”

Rachel laughed.

“My dad paid for this stupid place. Should have knocked it down before he could get his grubby mitts on it.” Nathan snarled.

“Your dad?”

“Yeah, my fucking dad. What, do you want to know my life story? Get out of here, freak!”

“Nathan, he’s not gonna hurt you here. You’re safe, you have friends who can look after you.”

“How do you all this stuff!?” Nathan was beginning to panic. “I’m cal-”

Max held up her right hand. Nathan’s panicked movements were slowly reverting back to the less erratic stage he’d shown earlier. Max froze briefly, giving her time to think, before dropping her hand and letting time resume. 

“I hate my dad, I hate Blackwell, and I hate Arcadia Bay! I hate everything!” Nathan finally stood up, and Max did the same. Nathan looked ready to throw something.

Max felt like she was going to vomit as she carefully placed her hand on his shoulder. “It’s fine. We can all just relax and enjoy the brief run-down period before the shitty school year actually starts, right?”

“Yeah, I guess. I need booze. And drugs.” Nathan laughed. 

“I would advise-”

“Max that’s enough!” Victoria interrupted. “He’s back to reality. I’ll handle it from here.”

“It was nice to meet you, Nathan.”

Nathan looked at Max oddly and said nothing. He turned his eyes to the floor.

Rachel shut the door behind Max and they slowly walked back to Max’s room before sitting down on the bed. “I think that was probably the best you could have done.”

“Not exactly a nice first impression. For him, I mean.”

“I’m sure it will be alright. At the end of the day, Nathan’s a rich douchebag with severe mental problems and an abusive dad.” Rachel blinked. “Okay that sounds a hell of a lot worse when I lay it out like that.”

“Yeah.” Max sighed. “I’ve got so much work to do if I want everyone, especially you, to be safe.”

“Well, helping Nathan is a good start.” Rachel nodded. “Let’s actually do this thing.” Rachel picked up some books and started putting them onto shelves, per Max’s direction. Max, meanwhile, started unpacking all of her clothes into their respective drawers. 

Roughly 15 minutes later, there was a knock at the door.

“Hello?” Victoria Chase’s voice called.

Max and Rachel looked at each other. Rachel nodded, and proceeded to make herself scarce, continuing to unpack. Max walked over and opened the door.

“Hi. You must be Victoria.” Max smiled.

“Cut the bull-” Victoria started to say, but sighed and removed her hands from her hips, dropping them by her sides. “I just came over to say thanks. For your help back there.” She turned her head to look at her bedroom door. "I’m not exactly one for small talk, especially with newbies, so I’ll cut this short. Nathan, as you may have guessed, has some serious unresolved problems.”

“Unresolved?”

“I’m not answering questions.” Victoria snapped. “I don't know how you managed to get through to him like that. That was probably one of the worst delusions I’ve ever seen him have. And in a few seconds, you just… brought him back.”

“Delusions?” 

“He has quite bad psychosis.” Victoria responded. “Everyone at school knows it, but without his father’s permission, we can’t do anything about it.” Victoria shook her head. “Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks, Max. That’s all.” She turned around and began to walk back. 

“Victoria, wait!” Max called out. Victoria stopped and turned around. “You’re in my photography class, right? With Jefferson?”

“That’s Mr. Jefferson to you, and yes?”

Max quick swallowed her anger at hearing Jefferson’s name like that. “Well, I just wanna say, I look forward to seeing you there. Next week.” Max smiled, and hoped that would do the trick.

“Okay… Thanks Max.” Victoria said slowly, clearly confused. “I’ll… guess I’ll see you there.” Victoria opened her bedroom door and quickly shut it behind her.

“Oh my God.” Max said as she shut the door.

“Even when she’s not trying to be a bitch, she’s still a total bitch, huh?”

“You’re telling me. Well at least that’s two things off my list.”

“She’s not safe yet, and neither is Nathan.”

“I know. God this is so hard.”

“You do have superpowers, though.” Rachel laughed. “A superpower that can give you literal weeks to work on essays and shit.” 

Max chuckled. “That is true. Believe me finals back in Seattle were made a hell of a lot easier.”

“Yes, miss 4.0.” Rachel smiled smugly.

“Shut up!” Max giggled. “You’re a 4.0 yourself and you don’t even have superpowers.” 

Rachel’s face fell and she turned around. She bent down and grabbed Max’s guitar before resting it against the couch. “Was a 4.0. Was.”

Max gulped. She hadn’t realised how much the last few years had taken a toll on Rachel and Chloe. She wanted to rewind, but felt like that was insulting. “Sorry, I didn’t realise.” 

“It’s fine. The fact that I still remember this conversation proves that you have some sort of heart.” Rachel sighed. “Thankfully I didn’t slip too far. Unlike Chloe. She went all the down below 1.0 very briefly, whereas I only went down to about 2.1. Gradually, we all came back to mid 3’s.”

“That’s good!” Max beamed. 

“Joyce was happy at that, which made me glad.”

“Joyce…” Max whispered under her breath. “How is she doing?”

“She’s alright. Haven’t seen her in a couple weeks aside from picking Chloe up from work.”  
  


“Does Chloe still have the truck?”

“Oh yeah. Wouldn’t let that beast go away.” Rachel rolled her eyes. “I thought it would bring her painful memories, but she says the spirit of her dad lives on in it, or whatever.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. She quite literally found it in the junkyard, right next to her dad’s smashed up car. Stripped it down and replaced it with working parts from other discarded cars and bam! Worked like a charm.”

“My God.” Max breathed. 

“I’ll admit, it was fucking impressive. She was so proud of herself.” Rachel smiled and shook her head. “Sometimes, I feel like she loves the car more than me, Max.” She said, mostly joking. 

Max felt a harsh pang in her heart hearing that. She suddenly realised how much of a third wheel she was. She took a deep breath in and out. “H-

“Well that’s just about everything. Aside from whatever you want to put on your desk, your bedsheets, and the rest of your clothes.” Rachel sighed, putting her arms up and stretching. “Everything alright?”

“I was just thinking, maybe some time soon, we could all head over to Joyce’s for dinner?”

“That sounds like a plan.” Rachel nodded. “Chloe still lives there anyway. Tomorrow night?” 

“Yeah. Sounds good.” Max nodded. 

“Okay then! Well I’m dead tired. Chloe’s shift doesn’t finish for another couple hours, so I’m just gonna go take a nap.” 

Max nodded. “Fair enough.”

“If you need anything, I’m just down the hall, okay?”

“Of course. You go take that nap.”

“Oh you know I will.” Rachel giggled. “Give us a hug first.” Rachel wrapped her arms around Max and squeezed her. Rachel may have only been an inch taller than her, but Max felt completely dwarfed regardless. Max returned the hug. She felt her face start flushing red.

_ “Oh God.” _ She thought. She returned the hug, a sheepish grin on her face as Rachel let go. 

“Are you blushing?” Rachel laughed. 

“No…” Max said as she felt her face flush even harder. 

“Oh my God you so totally are!” Rachel snorted amidst her laughter, causing Max to laugh back. “Oh you are such a character.” Rachel smiled. “I’ll see you later, Max.” 

“Bye Rachel.” Max sighed as she watched Rachel leave. She felt conflicted: On one hand, she was happy she was finally at Blackwell and Rachel and Chloe were safe and alive, but on the other hand she had never felt more alone in her life. She suddenly missed her parents dearly - she had lost the last three years of her life. Lord knows what she and her parents did together before she arrived at Blackwell, and she wasn’t sure if she actually stopped the tornado or not. In the original timeline she and Chloe kept mulling over different theories as to what caused the tornado. Was it Max saving Chloe the day she got shot? Was it Rachel’s death? Or was it simply the existence of Max’s powers in the first place? Like before, these questions kept rotating in Max’s mind, making her more and more irritated. She sighed. She definitely needed a walk. She looked at the couple bags she had left filled with stuff, and she decided she’d do them later. She needed to take her mind off things and unpacking was not going to do that at this stage. She swiftly left her room and walked down the hall towards the stairs. She looked into Dana’s room, but no-one was there. All of her stuff was strewn around the place. She had obviously only recently arrived and hadn’t unpacked yet. Max didn’t bother deliberating on Dana’s whereabouts and left. She finally exited the dorm building and stepped out into the fresh air. She took a deep breath in and out, making an effort to exhale as audibly as she felt necessary. She spied a smiling Daniel Da Costa sitting at the bottom of a shady tree, drawing a squirrel gnawing on a nut several metres away. Kate Marsh was out in the sunshine, reading a book. Kate didn’t know Max yet, and she certainly didn’t seem like the kind of person who would appreciate a stranger interrupting their reading. Max was just glad she was out enjoying the sunshine. Seeing Kate alive and happy made her feel glad. 

_ “Here’s hoping the Vortex Club still doesn’t get to her.” _ Max thought to herself. She shook her head. If she had been better friends with Kate in the original timeline, Kate would have simply approached her and asked if it was a good idea, and even the original Max would have told her no. She kept walking, past the dorms and out into the schoolyard. On a table to her right, two boys were sitting at a table, laughing. One was tall, buff, and wearing a football jacket. He had his hair cut very short. The other was the complete opposite: Short, wiry, had big round-rimmed glasses and very long hair. His chosen attire was a star wars T-Shirt that was too big for him and baggy jeans. Max couldn’t quite see the girl they were sitting with, as half of her face was obscured by a large piece of cardboard. “Huh. They’re playing DnD.” Max said aloud to herself. On her left, Evan had his portfolio resting closed on the table. He was standing by the table, taking a photograph of a group of birds circling over the bay. She noticed she was beginning to get hot, so she took off her plaid jacket and wrapped it around her waist, exposing her beautiful black butterfly t-shirt. _ “Well I guess some things never change.” _ She thought. Sitting on the fountain, Dana and Juliet were having what seemed like a very funny conversation, as they were both in hysterics. As Max walked past, she heard the name “Zachary” and immediately ceased her eavesdropping. _ “Last thing I want is to think about that cheating slimeball of sweat.” _ Max blinked, suddenly remembering that hadn’t happened yet. _ “Still sweaty, though.” _She spied a girl she had never seen before, sitting at the bottom of a tree near the steps to the main building. She was reading what looked like a very old book, or at the very least one that had seen better days. The spine had fallen off, leaving the pages exposed to nature. She was quite small and frail, but she looked very happy. She was oddly cute, Max pointed out to herself before shaking her head. The girl in question looked up and saw Max staring, and Max immediately looked away. 

“Haha, it’s fine. I take it you want to know the book I’m reading?” Her voice was quite small and squeaky, but there was a small air of confidence that projected her voice slightly.

“It looks interesting.” Max smiled and sat down next to the girl. The girl smiled. She was wearing a very nice bright-blue sweater that looked a little small for her. Her jeans were definitely brand new, although they seemed to squish her waist a little. She clearly didn’t like how much she’d grown. She turned and showed Max the book. “Death of a Salesman? Never heard of it.” 

“It’s not a very well-known play. Well, not for our generation anyway.”

“Oh I see.” Max immediately felt a pretentious vibe coming from her.

“I-I don’t mean it like that!” The girl laughed nervously. “Sorry if I sound pretentious sometimes, I get it from my parents.”

Max blinked in surprise. “No of course not! Please, tell me about the book- I mean, play.”

“It’s about this old guy called Willy Loman and his inability to adapt to a changing environment. He has two sons: Biff and Happy, who help him out sometimes but they’re dealing with their own struggles, and his wife Linda who has to sit idly by as her husband becomes more and more detached from reality and her sons go off the rails.”

“Wow. Sounds intense.”

“Yeah. I feel really bad for Linda.” The girl sighed. “It’s a lot more complex than I’m making it out to be, so if you want a better understanding of it, reading it is probably your best option.”

“Or google.” Max chuckled.

“Yes, google works too.” The girl nodded, laughing slightly. 

“Are you enjoying it?”

“I’m… not sure yet. I’m only halfway through, and I’m beginning to like Willy less and less. It’s kinda like the opposite of Wendy Torrance’s characterisation.” She looked at Max’s puzzled face. “From The Shining.”

“Oh. Right.”

“You feel bad for her the entire time, but the writer makes you want to hate her.” The girl continued. “In Willy’s case, as I said, it's the opposite: You want to hate him, but the writer makes you feel bad for him the entire time.”

“Interesting.” Max nodded, barely following along. “Sounds like you’re extremely well-read.”

“Well I do love reading, that’s for sure.” The girl smiled. “Oh! I never introduced myself. My name’s Samantha.”

“Samantha? That’s a nice name. My name’s Max.”

“Max. I like that.” Samantha nodded. “Wait… where have I heard that name before…?” She looked away, searching for an idea. “Oh! I know! You’re Chloe’s friend, aren’t you?”

“Yeah!” Max sputtered. “I… didn’t know you knew her.”

“Everyone at Blackwell does. Well, all of the ‘veteran’ students do anyway.” Samantha said matter-of-factly. She and Rachel made _ quite _a name for themselves at Blackwell a few years ago.” 

“A few years ago…” Max said to herself. “So I’ve heard.” She said to Samantha. “It’s been a pretty wild ride, and I’ve just been her GPS.” 

“What do you mean?”

“Well we’ve been friends since we were kids.” Max shifted so she was right next to Samantha, facing the school building. “She was in the shit, to put it lightly, after I moved to Seattle. So I was just kinda helping her from afar.”

“Damn. That’s intense. No wonder you look so tired.” Samantha giggled. 

“Haha, yeah. But that’s actually for a different reason.”

“How so? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I had a little…. Altercation with a boy across from my dorm room.”

“You’re in the dorm? Nice. I thought the dorms were gender segregated?”

“Yeah but he was just visiting a friend. He started screaming so I ran to help him and it just got messy. Still unsure if I helped or not.”

“That’s…. Weird.” Samantha said. 

“Not for Nathan Prescott. Chloe said it happened to him a lot.”

“Oh my God, PRESCOTT.” Samantha said indignantly. “Ugh, if I could go a lifetime without hearing THAT name or seeing his stupid face.” 

“Oh I hate him too, but he does need help.”

“Yeah well I’m done defending him.” Samantha said. “Yeah I know he has issues, I spent about a year trying to make people aware of that.”

“You were friends?”

“We were DATING.”

“Oh my God, how’d that work out?”

“About as horribly as you’d expect. To be honest, I kinda just liked him cause he was rich and smart, but also reserved. And he was, at first.”

“What happened?” Max suddenly remembered how quickly that conversation could head South. “Uh- never mind. It’s your business.”

“It’s fine, it’s not exactly secret knowledge anyway. I really liked his photos, and he knew that. I was never into photography myself, but I liked listening to him ramble about his photographs and the photographers he admired and took inspiration from.”

“Like whom?”

“Well the most prominent one would probably be Mark Jefferson-”

Max froze. If she were a cartoon character, her corneas would have shattered like glass. 

“Oh my God, I know right? He’s so pretentious. Honestly, after I looked at his photographs in my own time, alarm bells IMMEDIATELY rang. Chloe had already told me he had apparently done some shady stuff in Seattle or wherever, so I was doubly scared, and he’s teaching here now!” Samantha shook her head. 

“Worst thing is, I’m a photographer as well. But, as much as I hate his work, he’s a bloody good photographer. So I’ll be taught well.” Max sighed and leaned up against the tree. 

“Yikes, dude.”

Max laughed. “Please, continue.”

“Yeah. After that I became a lot more aware of how he was treating me or people around me. Obviously whenever he had an episode I wouldn’t blame him, I’d just leave him until he came back. But he was still getting worse in general. First thing I noticed, while I listened eagerly to his photographer rants, he refused to listen to my rambles about plays and playwrights. Dismissed as ‘dumb bullshit.’”

“Shit dude, I’m sorry.”

“It gets worse. He started yelling at me a lot. This was like a few months into our relationship. He was pressuring me to do shit I didn’t want to do. When he eventually asked for sex, I refused. I was only like 14, and he was nearing 16. He got mad and hit me. Not very hard, but the shock was enough to bring me to tears. After a week I was ready to forgive him, only to discover he cheated on me.”

“Holy shit, what the fuck?” Max recoiled. Her perspective on Nathan had changed completely. “With who?”

Samantha looked at Max. “Who was the friend he was visiting?”

Max wanted to vomit. “Victoria Chase?”

“Ever-so-popular and gorgeous Victoria Chase. And she’s a photographer too. Of course she immediately took the opportunity to gloat about it. Stuck-up bi-” Samantha gritted her teeth and stopped. “I shouldn’t be saying things like that.”

“Okay, I will. Victoria Chase is a stuck-up bitch.” Max smiled.

“You said it.” Samantha laughed. “Thanks Max. I know that was a rather weird out-pour after only just meeting, but I feel like I can trust you for some reason.”

That made Max’s heart stop. _ “I hope she doesn’t mean-” _ She cut her thought abruptly. “Thanks, you seem like a really nice person. I hope I see you around more.” Max stood up and brushed the grass of her jeans.

“Go take a nap!” Samantha called as Max began to walk off. “You look like you need one.” 

“You’re probably right.” Max laughed. “See you later, Samantha!”

“See ya, Max.” 


	14. Emotional Labour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe runs into an old friend at work. Afterwards, she struggles with some difficult feelings, unsure with whom she can share them with.

"I hate this fucking job." Chloe mumbled to herself as she begrudgingly wiped down a table that a family had been at. Baked beans and fruit juice had been strewn across the table in one sticky, gross mess. She stood up and stretched briefly. "My back is killing me." She thought. The table was very low down, and she was incredibly tall. Not a good mix. She didn't actually hate her job, in fact she quite liked working alongside her mother, although it was a little weird. It was just the simple act of working a minimum wage job for an incredibly long period of time that she hated. 'The Grind' as her mother had called it. Joyce wasn't particularly happy about the diner job either, but it payed the bills, and ever since her old boss got convicted for wage theft and maltreatment of workers her attitude towards the diner job had improved. She had gotten a raise as well as a promotion, and was a result, Chloe's duty manager during her shifts was none other than her own mother. 

"Come on Chloe, you have three more tables to clean in ten minutes. The truckers will be here any minute for their afternoon break and you know how fussy they are." Joyce called from behind the counter. 

Chloe leant down on the table, frustrated. "Yes, M- I mean, boss." Chloe hadn't been barred from calling Joyce her mother at work, she just felt it odd to call her boss her mother while she was working. Her apron was beginning to feel tight around her waist. At least she was allowed to wear jeans underneath. New uniform policy allowed for more comfort as well as it was professional-looking and had no branding/logos. Unfortunately that also meant her tattoos, so it was always long pants and long sleeves, so she was practically boiling in the intense heat. She looked at Joyce, who gave her a hard yet concerned look. Joyce was sweating as well, and Chloe could tell her mother was beginning to feel uncomfortable in her uniform too. While she still donned the apron and shirt for the kitchen, she had abandoned the pencil skirt and instead gone for nice dress pants, which looked professional, but she also noticed that the number of positive reviews from male customers had decreased slightly. Chloe scowled as she remembered the factoid. She shook her head and continued working. She looked at the clock as she scrubbed at a solidified puddle of sauce and breathed a sigh of relief as she realised her shift would be over soon. All that meant was she had to work twice as fast to get everything done in time, but it would be worth it. She would finally be able to spend more time with Max Caulfield, her best friend. She smiled just thinking about her. Yes she loved Rachel dearly, but there was something about spending time with Max that made her feel a unique sort of happiness, like nothing mattered anymore. It was just the two of them, making dumb jokes and chasing each other around whatever complex they decided to spend time in. She finally finished cleaning the table and moved onto the next one. She briefly froze as she realised how complicated her situation could get. "I... I wanna spend time with Max again, just like we used to but..." She thought to herself. "What if Rachel gets jealous? What if Max is completely different, considering everything that's happened? What if she treats me like glass? I can still have fun without getting myself...." She shook her head. She didn't want to think about the potential ultimate timeline that her best friend had lived through. As far as she was concerned, it didn't exist. The clock was rapidly approaching the end of her shift and she still had one more table to go. As she walked to the other end of the diner, two truckers who regularly made an appearance at the diner walked in, talking about some trivial means. Luckily the bar was wiped clean, and the table she was going to was in the far corner. The table in question housed a man she hadn't seen for years. "Frank Bowers?"

"Yeah, that's me. Whaddya want?" He said, not looking up.

"Oh nothing, I just wanna have a quick conversation with an old friend as I clean up his mess." Chloe said, with a little touch of indignation in her voice. 

"Chloe Price." Frank smiled, finally looking up. "I like the hair."

"Thanks. It was a rather out-of-the-blue decision." She chuckled slightly. "Mind if I...?"

"Go ahead." Frank pushed his empty plate towards her and leaned back in his chair. She grabbed the plate and cutlery and placed them in a random sink in the kitchen before walking back. 

"How are things?" She said, beginning to wipe down the end of the table opposite to where he was sitting. 

"Alright. A lot better since... Well, you know. Pompidou's doing alright."

"Pompidou?"

"Oh right. Guess it has been a while." Frank coughed. "Yeah rescued a bunch of dogs from a betting ring. I realised how awful the dogs were being treated even outside the fights so I took 'em all away. Gave them out to loving owners, before keeping one for myself. He's nearly two years old. Love him to bits."

Chloe smiled. "So you have turned yourself around, huh?"

"I'm still a drug dealer, if that's what you mean. The world hasn't been very nice to me, you of all people should know that."

"Yeah. You're telling me, bud."

"Forgive me for asking, but..."

"Rachel's fine." Chloe interrupted. "You don't have to apologise about that."

"It was still wrong."

"Rachel had the guts to let you know about that. She told you to skip town, and you did. At the end of the day, you showed you truly cared about us. Rachel and I are happy together."

"And how's things with you?"

"I'm... doing alright. I'm not as off-the-rails as I was when I first met you, but hey. I'm working in a diner and still living with my mom and her freak-ass husband."

"She married the guy? Damn."

"Eh, he's gotten a little better. But now he works as a security guard at Blackwell."

"Sheesh." Frank gritted his teeth. "Gonna be harder to sell to the kids there." Frank smiled smugly. 

"Keep an eye on who you sell to, by the way."

"No no, of course. Prescott off limits. As we discussed." Frank said hurriedly. 

"Good. But yeah, my best friend from Seattle is back in town, studying at Blackwell."

"That's good. What's she studying?"

"Photography."

"Oh."

"Yeah. That's why we knew so much about that teacher freak. Cause Max did her research."

"I can't exactly call myself a saint, but at least I don't kidnap kids and drug them against their will."

"Yeah, you only drug them with their permission."

Frank guffawed. "Fair point." He sighed. "I have been long considering a change in career but..."

"You feel like it's too late?"

"It's been too late for me for a long time, kid. I just don't know if I'm ready to readjust as a functioning member of society, you know?"

"I feel ya, Frank." Chloe looked up at the time. "My shift's over now. Rachel will be here to pick me up any minute. You might wanna make yourself scarce before she arrives."

"Good idea." Frank stood up and stretched. Chloe looked at his jacket and realised he still had the photo of him and Damon stored in his pocket. She quickly looked away. 

"Nice to see you, Frank."

"Likewise." Frank nodded. "As you know, I make a regular appearance here, so I guess I'll be seeing you from time to time."

"Yeah. I would like that." Chloe nodded. "See ya 'round." 

Frank waved as he left the diner. 

"Well done, Chloe. Help yourself to some of the spare food in the fridge." Joyce came over, checking her watch. "Who was that man, by the way?"

"Oh, just an old friend." Chloe smiled. Joyce gave her an odd look, so she said, "Ew! Not like that!" 

"Okay, ho- I mean, Chloe." Joyce clearly wanted to stay professional too. "I'll see you tonight for dinner." Chloe hung up her apron and grabbed an apple from the staff fridge.

"Bye, mom." Chloe said as she left the diner. It was still sweltering outside, but there’s a cool breeze blowing in from the harbour. It batted at her hair, but by now it was too short for her to care. As she walked into the carpark, she spotted an old pick-up truck that had seen better days driving around the corner towards the diner. A very loud series of honks emanated from it as she pulled into the carpark. It pulled into a neardby park and the driver's door opened and the driver jumped out.

"Hi honey." Rachel smiled and she reached up to kiss her girlfriend.

"Hey gorgeous." Chloe said, returning the kiss. "Quite an entrance you made there." 

"It's your truck, I kinda have to." Rachel climbed into the driver's seat. 

"Nuh uh, squidge over, loser." Chloe said jokingly.

"You look tired."

"No I don't."

Rachel said nothing and looked at Chloe.

"Uh fine! You can drive."

"Yes!" Rachel whispered excitedly. "Hop in. Maybe you can sneak a nap on the way."

"Not. Likely." Chloe said through gritted teeth.

Five minutes later, Chloe was fast asleep in the passenger seat. Rachel drove mostly in silence, not feeling like listening to music. When Chloe awoke, Rachel had stopped the truck outside the Price's house. 

"Uh... why are we here?" Chloe asked, half-asleep

"You mean... at your house?" Rachel asked inquisitively. 

"Yeah, I thought we were going to Blackwell."

"What for? It's 5pm."

"To see my best friend, Max Caulfield, of course."

"Oh. Right." Rachel said, her face dropping slightly.

"Come on, please don't be like that! I haven't seen her in a year, and that was just one visit."

"Sorry, she is your best friend, after all."

"And you are my loving girlfriend. Those two things can exist at the same time."

"I just keep thinking about that timeline... where I don't exist, and you and Max end up falling in love."

"Rachel, that never happened. Not to us, anyway. Max will not replace you, and that's a promise." Chloe took Rachel's hand and squeezed it. "Now, will you come with me to see my best friend?"

Rachel smiled. "Of course."

David Madsen opened the front door, carrying two large bags of rubbish. "Hey! You girls doing alright?"

Rachel wound down the window. "Yeah, we're fine! We're just headed to Blackwell for a bit. Seeing an old friend."

"You mean Max?" David said, smiling. "Alright. Don't be too long. I'm cooking dinner tonight and I want you two to be there." He tried his best to keep his voice even and tone kind. His large bushy moustache looked ridiculous alongside that plastered smile he was holding. 

"Of course. We won't be any longer than an hour." 

"Sounds good. Have fun!" David waved as Rachel wound up the window and restarted the car. 

*

Within a few minutes, they were at the Blackwell dorms, and Chloe knocked on Max's door. 

"I'm a bit tired, can it wait?" A sad voice called from inside. Chloe gulped.

"What, can't spare even a little bit of time for your best friend?" Chloe called from outside the door.

A series of loud thumps came from Max's room, and the door eagerly swung open. "Chloe!" Max cried, giving her a hug. "How was work?"

"Another day, another dollar. Or in my case 70 cents." Chloe smiled. 

"Oh come on, it's not that bad."

"It indeed could be worse, yes. Can we come in?"

"Of course." Max smiled and stepped aside.

"Wow." Chloe breathed. "You've already made home here, huh?"

"I do like it here. A lot. Already made some cool friends. Strangely, I met a girl I hadn't met in the original timeline. Her name was Samantha."

"Samantha!" Chloe smiled. "She's nice. You'll really like her. She's a bit of an airhead, but she is just really sweet. Also, can we start calling it the 'other' timeline? I know it happened to you, but for us it didn't, and I'd rather not think about it as something that could have happened to us."

"Sorry, you're right." Max rubbed her arm nervously. Rachel sighed. 

"I've met Samantha maybe like once?" Rachel said. "She was really sweet. She's a drama student, so naturally we had a LOT to talk about."

"Yeah, we had a rather lengthy conversation about a lot of shit. She really loves reading, from what I can see."

"I swear every time I saw her she was reading a different play." Chloe shook her head. "So what do you think of her? Is she still as naive as I remember her?"

"No, actually. She seemed quite smart." Max nodded. "I got talking to her about Nathan and she looked like she was ready to kill him."

"Nathan?" Chloe said, puzzled. "She loves the guy."

"Loved." Max said, putting as much emphasis on the word as she could. "They were dating, and he basically treated her like shit."

"What else is new?" Rachel sighed, shaking her head.

"That reminds me, I should tell you what happened earlier today, Chloe."

"Oh God yeah, it was frightening." Rachel said.

"What do you mean? Is it about Nathan? What did he do?" Chloe's mind was racing. 

When Max told Chloe everything, Chloe sat down on the bed in shock. "I... I shouldn't be surprised but... holy shit."

"Victoria actually stopped by to say thanks." 

"Sometimes she does the ability to show some humanity, yes." Chloe nodded. "Good on you for rushing to help him. I hope that means he's off her back."

"We still got a long way to go before he's safe, and by extension Victoria and anyone else he comes into contact with."

"To be honest, the person we should be tackling is his deadbeat dad."

"Not when he's the most powerful man in Arcadia Bay, even next to the mayor." Rachel sighed. "Even my dad can't touch him. Not without evidence, anyway." 

"So we find evidence of Nathan being abused. Bam! Instant scandal!" Chloe cried excitedly.

"Hold on now, we still have a month before the shit's supposed to hit the fan. Let's not rush into anything just yet."

Chloe lied down on Max's bed. "God. Alright. I'm too tired for this conversation. Can we just chill, for a bit?" 

"Sure. I might just practise the guitar for a bit." Max walked over to the couch and sat down, grabbing for the guitar. Rachel sat down on the couch next to her.

"Good. It's about time I hear you play." Chloe smiled.

As Max played, Chloe thought about her dilemma: She loved Rachel and Max both dearly, and the lines between platonic love and romantic love where beginning to blur immensely. "How can I love two different girls at once? How will they deal with that?" She sat up and looked at Max, who looked back and smiled. "I can tell she still loves me, too. Must have been hard to let go of all that she had. She's been sitting here, waiting, for the past five years. I feel like I owe her, just for that." She looked at Rachel, who seemed very impressed with Max's guitar playing, and Chloe was too. "But I'm already committed to Rachel. And I'm happy with her. I know she's happy with me, too. I don't want to lose what we have just because my best friend is back in my life. If only there was some way we could all be together. Fucking hell. Love is so complicated."

"Max that was amazing!" Rachel said, interrupting Chloe's thoughts. "What song was that?"

"It's called Obstacles, by a band called Syd Matters." Max said sheepishly, putting the guitar away. 

"Never heard of them." Rachel replied. "That was really impressive though."

"Thanks." Max said, turning away. 

Chloe was stunned. Not just by Max's performance, even though Chloe was barely listening to it, but more by Max's reaction to Rachel's compliments. "Is Max.... blushing!?" Chloe shook her head. "It's probably nothing. Max was never subtle when she received compliments. I'm thinking too much into it."

"Wasn't it amazing, Chloe?" Rachel asked, suddenly looking at her.

"Mmm?" Chloe said, quickly becoming alert. "Of course it was! Max that was incredible. Please play more for us sometimes."

Max looked at her. She clearly wasn't convinced. She looked at Chloe carefully, and Chloe could tell Max was trying to read her. 

"Anyway. I should be going. I'm tired, and we gotta get home for dinner."

"Oh! That reminds me." Max said, quickly jumping up from the couch. "I'm coming around tomorrow night for dinner." Max smiled, causing Chloe's heart to thump considerably.

"Oh! You are? Sweet!" Chloe beamed. "I'll make sure mom knows. Chloe stood up and gave Max a hug. Come on, Rachel."

"See ya, Max." Rachel said, giving Max a hug once she finally let go of Chloe. 

As they walked back to the truck, Chloe was silent. Because of this, Chloe was acutely aware that Rachel was concerned.

"You're worried about something." Chloe finally spoke up. "I can tell."

"Yes. I'm worried about you." Rachel replied. "You were so eager to see Max and you hardly talked to her."

"I don't know, my brain wasn't being nice. I was thinking about... well a lot of stuff."

"I'm well aware that Max still has feelings for you." Rachel blurted out.

"Ah- uh..." Chloe sputtered.

"I'm also aware that you're struggling with complicated feelings as well."

Chloe said nothing. They had reached the parking lot, and Chloe sat down on the steps. 

"I get it." Rachel said, sitting down next to her. "It must be hard. You're always subconsciously aware, in the back of your mind, of a time where you and Max were in love. And I'm also aware of how guilty you feel of Max's sacrifice."

"You always were so incredibly perceptive."

"I'm the DA's daughter, remember?"

"Remind me to never hide any chocolate from you." Chloe joked.

"I'm serious, Chloe. I want to let you know that I harbour no ill will against you or Max."

"You don't?"

"I may be an angry person, but I'm not shallow." Rachel replied matter-of-factly. "This is an incredibly complicated and awkward situation for everyone involved, especially Max." Rachel sighed and looked up at the clear blue sky. A flock of birds was circling overhead, heading it's way into the forest by the mountains. "I can't expect you or her to let go so easily."

"But I'm already committed to you." Chloe smiled, tears beginning to form in her eyes. 

"And I'm so, so grateful for it. I love how much you are willing to love and protect me, and care for me and my feelings, even when I don't deserve it."

"You always deserve it, because I love you so much." 

"I love you for your dedication, I love you for everything you do." Rachel was beginning to cry herself. "Max is an interesting character and to be honest, I'm beginning to like her more and more also."

"Really?" Chloe smiled. 

Rachel nodded. "Whatever complicated feelings we're going through, we'll talk it about together. This is a big journey for us, and we need to trust and love one another in order to make this work." 

"Thank you Rachel. I love you so much." 

"I love you too, Chloe." 

Chloe gently cupped Rachel's face and brought it closer to hers. Slowly, but surely, their lips met, and they kissed under the bright afternoon sun. 


	15. Dinner at the Prices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max visits the Prices for the first time in what feels like a century. David's behaviour is startling, and Chloe reveals some startling information that could change their relationship forever.

"You expect me to chill out in the back like a dog?" Max said in disgust as she followed Chloe and Rachel to the parking lot. It was sunny, but dark clouds loomed over the lighthouse and the wind was bitter. 

"What? You chicken or something?" Chloe smirked. Rachel laughed. "I'm only joking, Max." Chloe said, seeing Max's concerned face. "Since you're the smallest, you can squeeze in between me and Rachel."

"Oh gee, that really makes me feel good about myself." Max said sarcastically, hugging her thin frame to prove her point. 

"Oh come on, Max." Rachel said. "Think about this way: You're gonna be right in between two sexy women."

Max blushed, causing Rachel and Chloe to laugh. "Shut up!" Max giggled. "And also? Ew."

"Ew?" Chloe repeated. "What are you, a 10-year-old boy? Don't want them cooties all over you."

"I want something all over me that's for sure." Max muttered under her breath.

"Ha ha oh my God!" Chloe laughed. Rachel pulled a face and shook her head.

"I don't know if I want to sit next to you after that."

Max smirked at Rachel, and returned Chloe's hi-five. 

"Nice one, Max." Chloe said. 

They all piled into Chloe's truck, which Rachel had finally implored Chloe to clean, and set off towards the Price's house. As they pulled up to the driveway, Max gazed in awe at the house, which stood tall over her. 

"You finished the paint job!" Max cried. "It looks amazing."

"Yeah. One of the few nice things David has done for us." Chloe said, getting out of the truck and stretching. 

"He's getting better, Chloe." Rachel admonished.

"That's only because he can't go against two teenage girls calling him out."

"Fair point."

"Yeah, David was actually super nice about it. He got really irritated one day after he started coming here more regularly when he saw it half done, but Mom and I explained to him that was Dad's passion project, and he said that he wouldn't finish it until we were ready." Chloe explained.

"Who knew a closeted confederate could actually show some emotional maturity?" Rachel said. 

"It took about a year, but Mom and I finally let him do it, and David asked me to help him, and so I did. Got it finished in about a month during the summer, just me and him."

"How'd that go?" Max asked.

"He was a bossy little shit, like normal, but he was a lot calmer and nicer as well. I wouldn't say it was a 'bonding experience' like Mom did, but it certainly was, to some extent, a little fun."

"Well that's nice."

"Speak of the devil!" Chloe smiled. Max couldn't tell if it was genuine or not.

"Hey girls!" David smiled, opening the front door and letting them in. "Hope you're hungry."

"Where's Mom?" Chloe asked, taking Rachel's coat and hanging it on the rack.

"She said she'd be a little late at work, so I started cooking for her." David explained. He held up his hands as Chloe started to groan. "Now don't worry, I haven't changed the meal or anything, I've just chopped the vegetables and put the onions in the pan."

"Good." Chloe smiled. "Although you aren't a bad cook, David. For a man anyway." 

David just rolled his eyes. "Why don't you be a nice host and go get everyone a drink, hmm?" David smirked. 

"Sure thing, step-dad." Chloe replied sarcastically. 

"I'll take sarcasm if that's what it takes for you to call me that without insulting me." David smirked. 

Max and Rachel followed Chloe through the kitchen and into the living room. "He's in a good mood." Rachel pointed out. "It's unique for him."

"He finally got an offer for a job, and you'll never guess where." Chloe explained, opening the fridge.

"Where?"

"He's the head of security at Blackwell." Chloe smiled as she poured out a glass of coke for Max, before grabbing a beer for Rachel, David, and herself. 

"No fucking way."

"Language, missy." David said without turning around.

"Sorry David." Rachel rolled her eyes as David continued to chop vegetables. "I can't believe that."

"Yeah, me neither! Apparently they liked his track record and his service, and thought he'd be fit for the job."

"So we get to see his ugly mug around campus every day?" Rachel asked.

"This ugly mug gets to tell you what to do, young lady. Don't forget that." David called from the kitchen before taking a swig of his beer.

"Oh bite me." Rachel replied, making David laugh. "Eugh." Rachel pulled a face after drinking her beer. "This is disgusting." 

"David likes it. And I don't mind it."

"That's cause you have men's taste in alcohol." Rachel admonished. "Which is to say, no taste."

"Eat me."

"Later." Rachel whispered under her breath. Max laughed.

"Ew, no thank you." Max said as Rachel tried to offer Max her beer. 

"You're still such a baby Max." Chloe said, shaking her head.

"A baby with taste." Rachel smirked, leaning over to steal a sip of Max's coke.

"Hey!" Max cried before playfully shoving Rachel, almost knocking her off her chair. 

"Settle down, you two." Chloe said with a smile on her face. "I can't believe I'm the mature one for once." 

"Must feel nice, huh?" Rachel said, smirking.

"Don't get used to it." Chloe grinned. 

The front door opened, and in walked a very exhausted-looking Joyce Price. 

"Hi, honey!" David called from the kitchen before turning to Chloe. "Chloe could you cover me for a second? Just to make sure these onions don't burn." 

"Sure thing, David." Chloe smiled, before rolling hey eyes at the two girls, who giggled. 

"How was work?" David asked, kissing Joyce on the cheek and hanging up Joyce's coat for her.

"God, dreadful. The assholes I have to deal with." Joyce whispered under her breath, but Max heard it. 

"Why don't you go sit down? We can handle dinner until you're ready." David offered.

"No no it's fine I-" Joyce started to say, then stopped herself. "No. You're right. Thank you. Just a short rest."

"Take as much time as you need."

Joyce walked over to the couch in the living room and practically flopped backwards into it, the momentum of her body swinging her legs in the air, bringing them down to rest on the coffee table. 

"Hi, Joyce." Max said rather gingerly from the dining table.

"Oh hi, Max!" Joyce cried, craning her neck to turn around. "How are you? Haven't seen you in a long time."

"Yeah, it has been a while. I'm alright. How are you, Joyce."

"I'm dog tired, Max." Joyce sighed. "Work is super stressful right now."

"I can imagine. You look nice in that outfit."

Joyce laughed. "Why thank you, Max!" She shook her head. "Gotta look professional if I want to pass off as a competent manager."

"Well Mom I think you're doing an absolutely swell job." Chloe beamed, walking over to Joyce to give her a glass of water. 

"Oh thank you, Chloe. How's dinner coming along?"

"Swimmingly."

"SHIT!" David cried from the kitchen, before running to the sink to put his hand under cold water. 

"I'll excuse that one just because you burnt yourself." Joyce called. "I better go take over. Thank you both."

"It's alright, Mom. As long as you want to, don't feel like you have to."

Joyce gave Chloe a look before gesturing to her husband, who was continually sucking air through his teeth as the cold water ran. 

"Good point." 

Twenty minutes later, dinner was ready, and David's hand had since stopped burning. "Damn oil." He had said. 

"The oil does spit, I'll tell you that much." Joyce sighed, handing her husband a large plate of spaghetti bolognese. 

"Thank you honey. Sorry I couldn't be more help."

"Honey, you've done a wonderful job." Joyce bent down and kissed her husband, who smiled and lightly touched her face in return. 

Chloe flinched slightly. She still hadn't gotten used to David and Joyce being intimate with each other. Max regarded this rather sadly. She looked over at David and considered him. He was still clearly not even half the man William Price was, but it felt like this time that he knew it. He was aware of the hole he was failing to fill. She watched as he regarded Chloe sadly for a brief second, as if aware of her flinching at him. He looked down at his plate and began to eat, as Joyce began handing out everyone else's plates of food. Max breathed in, inhaling the scent of her food. She suddenly realised how hungry she was. She had no idea when she had last eaten, and time-travelling tends to consume a lot of energy, in her experience. She started inhaling the food, then slowed down when Rachel gave her an odd look.

"You must be hungry, Max." 

"Well your cooking is always amazing, and I'm not sure if I've eaten that much today." She admitted guiltily, only really half-lying. 

"Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it." Joyce pursed her lips. "And a girl your size cannot really afford to skip meals, young lady."

Max looked down and said nothing. She silently chewed on her food, savouring the incredible taste. There was a few moments of silence as everyone ate their food. 

"How's the hand?" Chloe asked her stepfather, shovelling a large forkful of spaghetti in her mouth. 

"Better now, albeit a little cold." David chuckled. "Thanks, Chloe." He smiled at her, and she weakly smiled in return. Max could cut the tension in the air with her knife. She briefly thought back to the original timeline, when they are at each other's throats - a rebel with a sharp tongue and temper and a no-nonsense war veteran who hated women. Now they actually seemed like a loving family, or at the very least they respected each other's place in the Price household. Joyce smiled at both of them, clearly happy with the progress they made. Max wondered if Chloe was only nicer to David because she knew in another time David had saved Max's life. That fact cannot have been easy to process, and Max was still reeling from it herself, that was one of the timelines she had been forced to erase herself. She remembered sitting in class, rushing to find David's number to arrest Jefferson, preventing everything bad from ever happening to her and Chloe. 

"How was Seattle? Must feel weird, coming back to live here, so far away from your parents." Joyce's question interruped Max's thoughts, completely throwing her off guard.

"Uh.... yeah! Seattle was good. Real city for artists." She looked down sadly. "But what good is art if you don't have people to share it with?"

"Oh, Max." Joyce sighed and looked at her sadly.

"Max you said yourself you made some friends in Seattle." Chloe looked at her, a small crease of anger on her face.

"Yeah but none of them were like you, Chloe." Max smiled at Chloe. Chloe blushed and turned away, quickly resuming her eating. There was a brief but awkward silence. "Seattle treated me well, I liked living there but..."

"You missed Arcadia that badly, huh?" Joyce asked.

Max shook her head. "Not the bay. I missed you guys too much." Max smiled at Joyce. "I know things were hard on you when I left. I wanted to run all the way here so badly, just to help you guys."

Joyce reached across the table and grabbed Max's hand. "Max, don't you remember? You did help us. All of us." Joyce smiled at Chloe and David. David put an arm around Joyce's shoulder, moving his chair so he was closer to his wife. "Thanks to you, Chloe and I managed to get through the darkest period of our lives. You helped me forgive myself, you helped me learn to love again. You helped Chloe learn to love again, too."

"I found myself loving the wrong things, Max." Chloe nodded. "You, and Rachel, pulled me out of that hole." Chloe put an arm around Rachel and kissed her head." Max found herself feeling alone, again. 

"I miss William." She sighed.

David looked at the ground sadly. Joyce looked at David briefly before speaking. "We all do, hun. But we gotta learn to move on. You helped us learn that, remember?"

"Of course." Max looked up and smiled, a single tear falling down her left cheek. She wiped it off. "Yeah." She finished eating and placed her fork on her plate. "Thanks for the food, it was lovely." She picked up her plate and put it in the kitchen sink. David walked over to her.

"Hey, can I talk to your for a quick second?" David asked. 

Max still felt intimidated by him. "Sure." She smiled weakly, and walked over to the stove where the others couldn't hear them. 

"I told Chloe this several years ago, so now I wanna tell you this." He sighed and took a deep breath. "I'm not here to replace William. That's not my job."

"I know that." Max nodded.

"You might tell yourself that, but I can see it in your eyes. An air of resentment. You look at me and see a ghost of William."

Max looked away and said nothing. 

"I'm not going to be the best father Chloe has ever had, I don't expect her to feel that way. It took a long time for Chloe to realise her father was never coming back, and I was here to stay, to keep Joyce happy. I understand I have a lot of problems. The Prices helped me realise that. That's why I went to therapy."

Max looked at him, surprised. 

"There's a cheaper service for vets." He nodded. "My therapist helped me realise I was more affected by Afghanistan than I originally thought." He leaned on the counter next to Max. "I was scared, Max. Completely and utterly frightened from what I had seen, and I thought it would never leave me. But my family helped me realise I could get help." He looked at Max closely. "You wanna know who it was that sought me to seek therapy?"

"Who?" Max asked, even though she felt she knew.

"Chloe." David answered. "One night she found me downstairs on the couch, clutching a bottle of whiskey, and she said she had never seen someone more agitated." 

Max recoiled at thought of Chloe returning home late one night to see that. 

"After that, she started walking on eggshells around me. She was a lot nicer and more patient to me, knowing how devastated I truly was. Eventually we started getting therapy around the same time, and we've been happier ever since." 

"There's still tension."

"Of course there is." David shrugged. "I'm afraid that'll take a long time to go away, but at least it's better now." He shook his head. "Sorry for rambling, I just wanted to give you a little context and insight to how our family operates."

"No, thank you David. I really appreciate it."

Then David did something strange. He bent down and _hugged_ Max. "You're welcome, Max. Any time." Max barely had time to return the hug before David let go. "I should go help Chloe clear the table and do the dishes. After that, Chloe will take you and Rachel back to Blackwell."

Max was left standing by the stove, completely dumbfounded by what had just happened. _"My actions had more of an impact than I thought."_ She looked at Chloe and smiled as she brought up some empty plates. Max quickly turned and grabbed the pots and pans and put them in the sink, before walking out into the hallway. She sat down on the lowest step to think. _"I never thought my actions would be paid forward so... extensively. Chloe helped Rachel, David, Joyce..."_ She thought about the girl she talked to at Blackwell, the one she had never seen before. _"Even Samantha and Nathan."_ Billions of thoughts once again skittered around Max's brain like rats. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but after a while Chloe was tapping her on the head.

"Hello, sleepyhead. Wake up." Chloe said smugly.

"I wasn't asleep." Max said, confused.

"No, but you're doing that thing where you space out for ages, and I can tell you have a lot on your mind. Come on, I'm taking you and Rachel back to Blackwell."

"Oh."

"Grab your stuff and say goodbye."

Max quickly hugged Joyce and waved goodbye to her and David, before exiting out the front door, putting her coat on. 

Most of the drive back to Blackwell was done in silence, with a few pleasant remarks about the evening here and there. Max mostly listened, still thinking about her conversation with David. 

"We're here!" Chloe cried eagerly, startling Max. 

"Huh?" Max said, causing Chloe to laugh. Rachel got out of the truck and stretched. 

"You coming, Max?" Rachel asked.

"Uh, yeah, give me a second."

"Actually, Max, hold on." Chloe said to Max before turning to Rachel. "Is it alright if I talk to Max for a second? Just about... well, you know." 

Rachel considered Chloe for a brief moment. She nodded, but she looked slightly sad. 

"Cool. I'll see you tomorrow, Rach. Love you." Chloe smiled.

"Love you too, dork." Rachel smiled and blew a kiss as she walked away.

Chloe pretended to catch it, before turning back to Max. "Listen, about tonight..." Chloe faltered. As usual, she was having trouble finding the words. She looked nervous.

"Yeah?" Max prompted.

"I could tell you were going through some complex feelings, about Joyce, about David." She paused. "About me." 

Max bit her lip and looked away. 

"I can't ever say I know what it feels like, to walk away from five years of your life, to walk away from almost everything you had, just so a few people would be safe." Chloe smiled. "But I do know what it's like to lose everything. So please, just know that you're not alone in this. You're not the only one having complex thoughts, and I know we can go through them together."

Max considered Chloe for a moment. "What are you saying?" She quickly shook her head. "I mean, of course I'm going through some shit, but what about you?"

"Well, lately I haven't stopped thinking about one of the things you had to lose." Chloe looked out the front windshield of her truck. "You had to lose me, just to keep me safe."

"Chloe I didn't lose you, you're here. We're here right now." Max felt tears forming in her eyes.

"That's not what I meant and you know it." Chloe said with no ferocity or malice in her voice. She was oddly calm. "I just keep imagining it. A world where you and I are together. You walked out on that to make sure Rachel was alive. To keep her happy. To keep me happy. That was an incredibly brave sacrifice."

Max said nothing. 

"I want you to know, I won't let it go to waste." Chloe turned around again, and stretched out her hand so it rested on Max's leg. "As I said, I've been feeling some complex feelings too. About my relationship with Rachel, and how that coincides with my relationship with you. I want them to intertwine."

Max looked Chloe deep in her eyes. "You mean-"

"Rachel is still figuring out her feelings, and that will take her some time, but I know how I feel." She grabbed Max's face and pulled it closer to hers.

"Chloe, I-"

"I love you, Max Caulfield. Now and forever." 

"I love you too, Chloe Price."

And as the rain began to pour, they kissed within the shelter of the old pick-up truck. 


	16. An Unlawful Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathan Prescott has a lot on his mind. Victoria is oddly heartfelt. Max makes an interesting development.

Nathan Prescott's mouth was dry and his head was pounding. He woke up and he swore he tasted salt. He shook his head and sat up. He needed water fast, his one-man party last night seemed to give painful consequences. He looked at the woman lying next to him, fast asleep. _"Well, two-person party."_ He thought, allowing himself a small smile. Victoria Chase hair reflected the small sliver of light that dared to escape the mask of the blinds. She had insisted that they spend the night in his room, as she figured the boys wouldn't bother to disturb them. 

Not that she had been making much noise. 

Nathan shrugged. She HAD consented, to the photos and even to the drugs, after some encouragement. Which was more than young Samantha could say. He desperately to shake the memory from his head. His father had given him one hell of a beating when he found out, and that time his mother did not rush to his aid. A part of him did feel remorse, but it was only a small part. He slowly got out of bed and stumbled his way down the dorm and to the bathroom. It was crazily early in the morning, and he realised he wasn't fully sober yet. While the sun indicated it was already well into the morning, he still felt like all the boys on the floor would be asleep, so in his partially-drunk state, he took extra care to quieten his footsteps. Not because he wanted to be considerate - that wasn't Nathan's nature, he simply didn't want anyone to look at him until he was remotely presentable. At the very least, Nathan hated looking weak or pathetic. He looked in the bathroom mirror as he waited for the running water to heat up. His eyes were sunken and he made a concerted effort to rub the crusty yellow residue from them. Satisfied, he smiled and splashed water onto his face. As the water hit him, he remembered the... episode with the small girl the previous day. What was her name? Max Caulfield? He shook his head. He wasn't sure why she was so eager to rush in and do what she did. Was she convinced that she helped him? Fucking idiot if she was. He turned off the tap, but continued to examine his reflection in the mirror, admiring his own looks. He replayed the episode in his head, which clearly did not help to reduce his anxiety. Trying to downplay visions of his father, he recalled what he could understand from Max's fruitless attempts to calm him down. _"They weren't that fruitless, they did work I suppose."_ He told himself. Again, a small part of him wanted to thank Max, but it was vastly overshadowed by one lingering thought. 

Max knew something. Something about him and his father. Nathan wasn't sure how much she knew, but it could still pose a horrific threat. He had to subdue her and FAST. He turned the tap off and made up a quick plan in his head. 

For the first time since he first left his shithead parents, Nathan grinned. 

*

Max blinked as she awoke. It wasn't too early, but it wasn't too late either. She checked her phone and it 9:30am. She shrugged. 

"Good time to get up, I guess." She said aloud. "Not that I have anything to do anyway." She got out of bed and looked around. Everything had already been packed away where she wanted it. It was her first morning in her room, and already it was beginning to feel like home. Chloe was busy at work all day, and Max had no idea what Rachel was doing. Most likely sleeping in. Her eyes were gluey and her hair felt disgusting. She blinked a couple times and stretched. "I need a shower. Badly." She slowly dragged herself around her room searching for the various items she needed for her shower. She was only in a t-shirt and underwear when she stepped out into the corridor, but she didn't care. It was a girls-only floor after all, so while she disagreed with the concept, it did help in these circumstances to make her feel more comfortable. She spotted Kate Marsh brushing her teeth at the sink. She was fully dressed and looked ready to go out. 

"Hi, you must be Kate Marsh." 

Kate Marsh spat in the sink and quickly rinsed her mouth before turning around. "Good morning. I've heard about you. 'The Girl with the Retro Camera', right?"

"Is that what they call me?" Max sighed.

"I mean, I don't view it as a bad thing." Kate smiled. "But I would like your actual name better. Maxine...?"

"Max Caulfield. Never Maxine. It's a pleasure to meet you." Max said, extending her hand, which Kate promptly shook. "Bit early, isn't it?" Max asked as she retracted her hand. She put her things down on a little shelf in the shower cubicle and turned back around. 

"Starting the day early leads a life of better virtue." Kate replied as if she were reciting something.

"I don't remember that in the Bible." Max joked.

Kate chuckled slightly. "Naw that's something my mom told me." She shrugged. "Although I do appreciate the freedom to wake up when I wish now, the sleep-ins are nice."

"What time did you wake up?" 

"8:30." 

Max faked a gasp. "Scandal!" She said sarcastically. Kate laughed. 

"Oh believe me in my house it would have been, especially on a Sunday."

Max grimaced. "I can imagine." She looked at Kate for a while, considering her. "Hey, um..." Max started as Kate began to walk out of the bathroom. 

"Yes, Max?" She stopped and turned her head. 

"Would you like to uh... hang out? Sometime? Just you and me, of course."

"That would be lovely. I've got a tea set in my room, so come to mine."

"Sounds great. Does this afternoon work?"

Kate laughed. "It's not like either of us have anything to do this week, huh?"

"I take it you're not much of a party girl, either."

"You certainly have great perception skills, Max." Kate said with no obvious hint of irony.

"Oh Lord no, I'm just incredibly nosey."

"We all have our flaws." Kate shrugged. Max was surprised at Kate's nonchalant banter. She did not seem as timid and anxious as Max was used to. Maybe the Vortex Club traumatised her more than she thought. 

"Oh believe me I have many." Max smiled. "I'll see you at around 2?"

"Best time for tea, I'm told." Kate smiled and turned back around. "I'll see you then. Bye Max."

"See ya, Kate." Max shook her head after Kate left. "Kate just seemed... happy. And confident." She said aloud to nobody. "In a way that I haven't seen before." She stepped into the shower and stripped as she waited for the water to warm up. 

"God, can you believe Kate Marsh? The way she just tongued every guy there the other night?" Victoria Chase's voice cried above the noise of the shower. 

"Yeah oh my God!" Taylor's voice laughed. Her voice echoed strangely, as did Victoria's. "I'm SO glad you got that on video." 

"Speaking of video..." Victoria said, making a sound the resembled opening a handbag. Max could hear a loud squeak as she drew on the mirror. "Let's see how everyone else feels Kate's escapade." 

"This isn't real." Max moaned out loud and clutched her head. She opened the curtains to discover that no-one was there. The mirror that housed a drawing was not a link to a video, just a creepy eye, staring right at Max. She shuddered, and closed the shower curtain. 

Even as she walked out of the bathroom, the vision was fixed in her mind, playing on repeat. "Why that memory? It was so vivid." She shook her head and walked back to her bedroom. She heard running behind her and turned around. 

"Max!" A voice called behind her. She turned and smiled, expecting Warren. 

"Hey W- Oh." She looked up at the face of Nathan Prescott, smiling. The smile was so unnatural, it creeped Max out immensely. "Hi Nathan." She said, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

"Hey. I uh..." He turned around at Victoria, who smiled falsely. Even though Max could tell it was false, it was a lot more convincing, which Max more angry than scared. Max looked back at Nathan. "I just wanted to say thanks." Nathan coughed. "For yesterday, I mean. Not a lot of people make the effort to help like that, and it's good to know that someone, other than Victoria, cares." He turned back around and Victoria gave a thumbs up. Max briefly stuck her tongue out in disgust when they weren't watching. When Nathan turned around, Max was beaming.

"You're very welcome, Nathan. It was the least I could do. I just wanted to help."

"I really do appreciate that." Nathan was finding it a little more difficult to keep the bitternes out of his voice. 

_"It's clear Victoria put him up to this, but why? Is she really that determined to be nice to me now?"_ Max thought to herself. 

"So... I was just thinking... did you wanna... come to my room at some stage today and uh... check out my photo portfolio? I really want more people to look at it before I show it to Mr. Jefferson, and you seem like an excellent photographer. Victoria says so anyway." 

Max scowled briefly at hearing the name, but quickly returned with a smile. "That sounds good, Nathan. I'd be glad to. Say, 1:30ish? I have to see Kate Marsh later this afternoon as well so..."

"Make it 1. I have an appointment at 2." Nathan replied quickly. "And it uh, might take a little time. Cause I wanna see some of your photos, too."

Max blinked. She wasn't sure she liked this situation. "Nathan Prescott, taking interest in other people? This is insane." She dug her toes into the carpet subtly. "Great! I'm not a good photographer, but it'd be nice to hear from an expert." She hoped sucking up to him would make him happy, and it seemed to the do the trick.

"Tch. I suppose I do have some experience." He smiled. "Looking forward to seeing you, Caulfield." He flashed her a genuine smile before he left, sending shivers down Max's spine. Victoria placed a warm hand on his shoulder as he walked past, before approaching Max.

"Did you put him up to this?" Max asked her, pointing towards Nathan.

"What? No!" Victoria said hurriedly. "Do you really think that low of him?"

"N-no, I just..." She trailed off. 

Victoria sighed. "Sorry, I don't mean to be bitchy. It's a rather nasty habit of mine."

Max blinked again. Two incredibly self-centred people expressing actual polite levels of social interaction in the same instance? Max pinched herself. 

"You seem surprised." Victoria glared at Max. She sighed again. "I know what you're thinking: Rich, popular, blonde girl must act like a total bitch all the time, right?"

"No, I just happen to be friends with Rachel and Chloe." Max replied. 

"Oh. I see." Victoria turned away. "I don't actually think that low of them." She looked at Max. "I don't know why, but I trust you for some reason, so I'm just gonna say this: I act like a bitch because..."

"You're worried nobody will ever want to form a genuine bond with you if you're nice, so you act like a bitch and hold on to your fake friendships, hoping that will hide how insecure you are?" Max replied.

"What the he-" 

"Chloe was the same." Max lied. "Except she wasn't rich, and she had me to talk her out of that behaviour." She shrugged, acting like the whole situation wasn't entirely bizarre to her.

"Huh." Victoria looked away. She was roughly a head taller than Max, so when she looked up, it was well over Max's head. "Chloe is still a bitch, though."

"She can be, but you know what she's been through."

Victoria sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Unfortunately, I do." She turned around and looked down the hall, towards Rachel's room. "In a way, I sort of admire her determination. I suppose that's why Rachel likes her too."

"The unlikely couple not so unlikely, huh?"

"Yeah. Guess not." Victoria waved her hand. "I don't really have much time for more conversation. Do not repeat this to anyone, okay?" She sighed yet again and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You might actually be my only real friend here. And I mean that. I am tired of this lifestyle, but it's not something I can drop right now."

"You can try." 

"And lose all of my other friends? Ha! Not likely, Caulfield." She checked her watch. "Anyway, I still have some more unpacking to do. I'd better let you got to whatever weird shit you do during the day."

"Taking selfies?" Max replied, pretending to pull a duck-face. 

Victoria laughed. "You crack me up, Caulfield." Victoria reached her bedroom door. She looked at Max, and Max had never seen a more genuine smile from Victoria's face. It was almost sad. "I'll see you later, Max." She shut the door.

"Well that was two of the most absurd conversations I've ever had." Max said aloud to herself. "These people have totally changed character." Max walked into her room and sat down on the couch. She grabbed the guitar and began playing some random chords, not even paying attention to what she was playing. _"Victoria is suddenly a much nicer person. I should probably talk to her more often."_ She thought. _"And get Rachel and Chloe to talk to her too."_ She frowned. _"Neither of them are gonna like that. And Nathan is an entirely different kettle of fish. While I fully believe Victoria can change - after all she has shown she can, I'm not sure I trust Nathan."_ She bumped her finger and briefly shook her hand before continuing to play._ "I better be careful. I know where he keeps secret stuff. If he tries anything, I'll unveil all of his secrets."_ Max frowned. "If he still has any." She spoke aloud. She briefly remembered her conversation with Samantha and deemed that satisfactory enough. She finally stopped thinking about all the dark shit that could happen when she sees Nathan and focused on playing instead. 

*

Hours passed, and Max hadn't done much with her day. Come 1 o'clock, and she couldn't remember whether or not she ate lunch. Her bank account had indicated she spent some money, and she hoped it was food. She approached Nathan's room on the first floor and knocked. 

Nathan wrenched it open angrily, as if he'd been rudely interrupted. When he saw Max, his expression softened. "Oh. It's just you. Sorry Max. Come on in." He smiled, and once again it spooked Max. She slowly walked into his room, keeping her eye on him until she was at a safe distance. She didn't want to bring her camera, so she brought a couple polaroids from her wall to show him. She wasn't particularly proud of them, but she felt they were dreary enough for a man of Nathan's tastes to at least somewhat approve. She looked around. For whatever reason, Nathan's blinds were closed, despite the sunny weather outside. The projector hung high from the ceiling, producing the only light source in the room. Max made sure her cellphone was in her hand. 

"I like your room." Max said, her voice weaker than she wanted it to be.

"Thanks. I always like to make my guests feel... welcome." 

Max gulped. She looked at Nathan's bed, which was significantly larger than hers, and noticed two indentations in it instead of one. Naturally, the boy's bed was unmade. And Max made a mental note to never date a boy who never made his bed. Or any boy like Nathan, for that matter. She glanced at the projector screen. 

"Are these your photos?" 

"Yeah! You like them?" Nathan was genuinely wanting to know. Odd.

Max watched as several dreary grey photos, featuring mostly dead animals, flashed on the projector screen. "Mmhmm. They're good." Max said. She did not like the dead animal imagery at all, but she had to admit: He was good. He had good angles, and the way he experimented with black and white while still looking crisp and brand-new was clever. Really making the death imagery stand out, especially among the pale grey backgrounds, which were mostly kept fairly bland with little details, making the foreground stand out. Max threw her photographs casually on one of Nathan's many desks for him to look at as she continued to stare. One of the photographs was unlike the others: It featured a dimly lit forest, with little focus on the foreground, and more on the trees. A deer, that had been shot during a hunt, was lying on the ground, but the framing of the photograph made it insignificant. The complete contrast from the rest of his portfolio was astounding, and Max could tell this was deliberate. 

Jefferson would like this one for sure.

"Yes, it's... perfect." Nathan said quietly from behind her. 

"It certainly is a very nice photograph." She felt the air shift directly behind her and spun around, just in time to see Nathan Prescott looming over her.

With a cup of fizzing water in his hand.

Nathan cursed and swung a fist, still holding on to the water, which Max instinctively knew was laced with date-rape drugs. Max quickly ducked and held out her right hand, freezing his image in place. Max had to act quickly. Using great effort, she shifted the couch using only her left hand until she could grab the bag stuck to the underside of the couch. She grabbed a cloth and then used take the gun out from the bag. Still holding out her right hand, she moved the couch back and aimed the gun at his head. 

She dropped her right hand and gripped the gun with both hands. Nathan Prescott's image rapidly came back to life as his fist swung at nothing.

"What the fuck-"

"Stay the fuck back, Prescott!" Max cried. 

"How the fuck did you get over there?" Nathan didn't seem phased by the gun being pointed at him, he was too busy fixating on what he believed was Max's lightning ninja speed. "How the fuck did you get my gun?" 

"Never mind how I got it!" Max yelled. She relaxed a little bit and stood up straight, still keeping a firm hold on the gun. "I know about Samantha."

"Well duh, everyone-"

"And I know about your father. And I know about Jefferson."

Nathan's face quickly dropped and he froze. 

"I know what Jefferson likes to do in his spare time, and I also know he has recently employed YOU for help."

"I-I-I... I... I don't know what you're *ahem* talking about." Nathan coughed. 

"Oh I think you do, Prescott." Max was feeling a lot more brave now. Braver than the last time she aimed a gun at someone. She gradually circled her way to the door, blocking the only viable exit. "Tell me Prescott, are you happy? Can you live with yourself, the way you are?"

"Don't analyse me! I pay people to do that!" Nathan growled. 

"Correction, your father pays for them. All of your money comes from the greedy prick, who steals it from working class citizens!" Max snarled. "And also, don't argue with me. I'm not the one with the gun pointed at them."

Nathan shut up. 

"Good." Max felt guilty at how powerful she felt in this situation. She could feel her grip tightening on the trigger, eager to pull it. She resisted. "So. Does Victoria know?"

"She knows nothing. All she knows is my... fetish for photographs." Nathan admitted. 

"I suppose that's one way of putting it." Max allowed herself a shudder. Nathan didn't seem to notice. 

"So. If Frank Bowers is out of the city, where the hell did you got those drugs?"

"Pharmacy." Nathan shrugged. "They're regular narcotics. How the hell do you know Frank Bowers?"

"I'll ask the questions here, Prescott." Max growled, then sighed. "He was Chloe's dealer. Ran into him once." 

"You've never done this before, haven't you?" Nathan smirked. 

"Actually, I have. I held a gun to Frank Bower's head after he threatened Chloe Price." Max smiled, watching Nathan's smug expression quickly vanish. "He's still alive because of me. Do you want to gamble on my mercy like he did?" 

Nathan shook his head. 

"Unlike Bowers, I pity you, Prescott. Because you're not an aid to Jefferson. You're just his victim. A long-term victim. And just like all of his victims, once he doesn't need you anymore, he'll get rid of you."

Nathan's eyes widened and he shook his head. "No. No. You're wrong. I'm a valuable asset to him and his work!"

"No. Your money, or rather your dad's money, is a valuable asset to him. Why the hell do you think he chose YOU, of all people?" She looked him up and down. "Granted, you're sick enough to actually go with it, but also you're the richest fucker in this entire city! Jefferson can do whatever the hell he wants as long as he gives you the empty promise of a successful photography career."

"How the hell do you know all this stuff?"

"Because I've seen it. All of it. First hand." 

"How?"

"Same way I managed to grab your gun in the time it took for you to miss a punch." She walked slowly over to Prescott, who backed away. She raised the gun at him. "Stay still." He obeyed. She closed the distance. "Grab onto my shoulder." He obeyed. She pointed the gun up and shot the projector.

"Wait the hell are you doin-" Nathan cried.

Max raised her right hand. Slowly, the bullet retracted from the projector, the metal repairing itself as the bullet moved slowly backwards through the air. She stopped time halfway through it's path and held it. "Whatever you do, don't let go of my shoulder, no matter how much it hurts your head."

Nathan blinked and rubbed his forehead with his free hand. "What in the fuck...?" He breathed slowly. He moved his hand towards the bullet, and Max slapped his hand with her left hand, gun still in it.

"Don't touch it, or it will actually hit you."

He quickly retracted his hand. "You have time powers." He shook his head. "That explains everything." He looked at her. "How far back can you go?"

"A few days using this method. Several years if I use a photograph, but only to certain times and events, before I wake up in the present." 

"So wait, how did you go forward then?"

"I didn't. I simply was forced to relive the past 5 years of my life." She shrugged, as if the situation was completely normal. "I can't go forward in time, sadly."

"But you can stop it."

"It's more like reversing it really, really, slowly, but yes." She nodded. "This way I can move while I'm reversing time." 

Nathan seemed very excited by all this and started answering questions. She simply pointed the gun at him and he shut up.

"I will say, though, that the reason why I came here was because I thought you changed. Clearly, I was wrong. Still a lot of work to do then." Max stated.

"What are you gonna do?" Nathan asked hesitantly.

Max smiled. "Well, with your help, I'm gonna put Mark Jefferson behind bars."


	17. Tea Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max is forced to escape Nathan's room before he tries anything rash. Victoria makes a surprise confession.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a bit longer. Was finding it very hard to write an ending for this chapter.

Kate slumped down in her office chair and sighed. Her daily walk had been longer today than normal, and she’d stopped several times to make pleasant conversations with passerbys. Oddly enough, in the hallway as she was approaching her bedroom, she bumped into a tall girl with short blond hair who she vaguely recognised.

“Hi, you must be Kate Marsh.” The girl smiled. She spoke with an annoyingly high-pitched voice and wore expensive clothes and jewellery. Kate made a mental note to pray later on to absolve her internal cattiness, but she still decided to be wary in case this girl replicated her high-school bullies. “You live right next door, correct?”

Kate nodded. “I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure to meet you yet. What’s your name?”

“Victoria. Victoria Chase.” Victoria smiled and extended out a hand, which Kate took in return for a brief handshake. “It’s really nice to meet you.” Victoria glanced her up and down. “I see you’re a devout Christian.”

Kate blushed and fiddled with her cross necklace. “I wouldn’t say devout but… Okay maybe. My parents are more devout Christians, especially my mother.” Kate gulped. “I personally don’t care about other people’s religious backgrounds, I just like to follow my faith.”

Victoria nodded. “Fair enough. My grandparents were Jewish, but the rest of our family stopped practising before I was born.” 

“I see.” Kate nodded. Kate glanced at her phone briefly. “I should go. Nice to meet you, though.”

“Likewise.” Victoria smiled. “We should hang out at some time.” 

“That sounds nice. I’ll consider it.” Kate replied. She knew that Victoria knew how empty that acceptance was. Kate figured the invitation was empty too, but she really did want to make friends here. 

As Kate recalled this, she glanced up at her ceiling in her bedroom. She was very tired. Sleeping felt weird in her new bed, and as a result she spent a good portion of the previous night strolling through the campus, and praying in her room. Trying to get the weird thoughts out of her first few days in her new home out of her mind, she focused on the tea session she was supposed to have with the girl she met that morning. Where was she?

*

“So how do you expect to go about doing that?” Nathan asked, failing to keep the smugness out of his voice. “He’s incredibly powerful.”

“Yes, he is, but I have five years worth of evidence on him. I know where his bunker is, and, if my memory serves me well, I still remember the passcode.” She answered, slowly reversing the bullet’s trajectory back into the gun before lowering it.

“And what do I get out of it?” Nathan asked, letting go of Max’s shoulder once she’d finished. 

“A guarantee that you won’t go to jail with him.” She tilted her head and looked at him. “You are his accomplice after all. I can pull together some psychiatric reports and emails to back up a claim that he groomed you. Which, coincidentally, he did.” 

“So you really think he would have killed me?”

“I told you. I saw it myself.” Max said simply. “He shot Chloe Price in the head, dragged me back to the bunker, drugged me and photographed me, and then told me he killed you and buried you somewhere.”

Nathan’s face turned white. “Okay.”

“So you’re finally coming to terms with the consequences of your actions? Or are you only now scared because you realised he was using you as well?”

Nathan scowled, but looked at the gun in Max’s hand and said nothing. 

“Hmm.” Max smiled. “You don’t know how relieved I felt when my powers magically ripped me out of there.”

Nathan started circling around behind Max, as if examining her. “So you can just, reverse time?”

“Yes, we’ve been over this. I really should go.” Max said. “I didn’t come to tell you my life story.”

“Okay then. What’s your plan, Caulfield?” 

“When we need you, we’ll get you. We know where you are.”

“I don’t like threats, Caulfield.”

“Oh believe me that was no thr-” Max stopped. 

A blue butterfly flew in through the window. 

Using the distraction, Nathan lunged for the gun, wrestling it from her grip. 

“Get off me, Prescott!” 

“As long as I’m touching you, I’m unaffected by your powers, isn’t that right?” He was grinning evilly. Max was gradually losing her grip on the gun. She had only one chance.

She let go of the gun. 

Nathan, satisfied, stepped back slightly, and Max moved in. She stomped on his foot and elbowed him in the stomach. His grip on her loosened as he stumbled back. She quickly whipped around and shoved him backwards, sending him sprawling on the floor, gun in hand. 

“This isn’t over, Prescott.” She took Nathan’s spare phone and ran out of the bedroom, and didn’t stop until she was back upstairs on her floor. She turned around to make sure Nathan wasn’t following her. He wasn’t. He may be irrational, but at least he wasn’t stupid. She quickly went into her room and tossed the phone in her clothes drawer, burying it under her underwear. She’d go through it later to see any developments between him and Jefferson, but for now she had to see Kate Marsh. She looked at the time. She hadn’t been in Nathan’s room for more than 5 minutes. Her head was beginning to hurt majorly. “This is what I get for using my powers this excessively.” She had a stash of painkillers for this situation handy, so she took one and lay down on her bed, making sure the sunlight wasn’t on her face. “Just a quick nap to clear my head before I go see Kate.” 

Half an hour later and she hadn’t slept at all. She had long since given up and thought of some other way to relax. She looked over at her stash of books, that were almost barren. “That’s right,” Max thought. “Kate gets me back into reading again.” None of her books seemed all that interesting, and she felt too tired to play the guitar. Listening to music would just make her headache worse, so she simply stared at her wall of photos that she had put up on her first day. She tilted her head, thinking of an idea. She smirked. She grabbed her polaroid and her tripod and assembled it carefully. Setting a timer on the polaroid, she pressed the button and got in frame. 

"Click!" Went the polaroid and it spat out the image. Max turned around and grabbed the picture and shook it twice. She looked at her handiwork and smiled. She realised a blue butterfly had been resting on her hood during the photo, and fit the mise en scene perfectly. She allowed herself a cheer at her incredibly good luck, before putting her camera and tripod away. 

"Kate will love this." Max smiled and pocketed the photo. She left her bedroom and quickly went to Kate's room and knocked on her door. 

"Max!" Kate smiled as she opened the door. "Come on in!" She stepped back to let Max in and closed the door behind her.

Max looked around. The last time she had been in this room was, from her perspective, nearly 5 years ago, right before Kate went up to the roof to- Max shook off the thought. The room had been so much more dark and grim than it was now. Now, it seemed like a lively place full of hope, and it was clean as well. Kate's little white bunny sat in its cage, nibbling away at some lettuce Kate had fed her. 

"Hi little guy." Max bent down to meet the bunny's eye level. The bunny glanced at her briefly before continuing to nibble. Max giggled. 

"She's been a bit nervous since we moved here, but apparently she's settled in quicker than I have." Kate smiled. 

"You're having trouble settling in?" Max asked, immediately concerned.

"I mean... isn't everyone?" Kate replied, a tad confused at Max's reaction. "New home, for some of us new school, it can be frigthening."

Max nodded and then looked away. She hadn't meant to react in such an abrupt manner, but with what she knew about Kate and her future, Max couldn't help but worry for her. "He hasn't gotten to her yet." Max told herself internally. "And, with any luck, he won't." 

"You okay, Max?"

"Yeah." Max said, shaking her head slightly. "Just kinda dawned on me, what you just said, you know?" 

"I understand that. You seemed excited when I first saw you." 

"I was mostly excited to be back in Arcadia. I lived in Seattle for the past 5 years."

"Excited? For Arcadia?" Kate laughed and shook her head. "And here I thought I was dull."

"I came back for photography." Max smiled. "And my friends."

Kate nodded. "You do seem to be quite familiar with Rachel and her friend."

"Girlfriend." Max quickly corrected. "Yeah. They're my best friends. Chloe, Rachel's girlfriend, and I grew up together." Max looked out the window sadly. "When I moved to Seattle, Chloe was lonely. Good thing Rachel swooped in and saved the day, or..."

"Or...?" 

Max shook her head. "Nothing. I don't really know what I was saying. Anyway, about that tea...?"

"Oh! Of course." Kate snapped her head upwards slightly, standing up straight. "I'll go get the water. Stay here and look after Alice." Kate picked up her electric kettle and swiftly left the room. Within seconds, she returned and started boiling the water.

"How come you have your own electric kettle?" Max asked, realising how dumb of a question that was after she said it.

"For tea, of course!" Kate smiled. Max figured she didn't have the heart for rude sarcasm, which Max greatly appreciated at that exact point. There were a few seconds of silence as Kate poured the tea. Max slowly sipped it, feeling the warmth enter her body. She hadn't felt cold beforehand, but she felt a difference nonetheless.

"This is really nice. Thank you, Kate." Max smiled.

"You're very welcome, Max." Kate smiled in return. She looked up behind Max, confused. Max turned around to see where Kate was looking.

Her bedroom door was open ajar. 

"C-" Kate paused to clear her throat. "Come in!" Kate said cheerily. She was clearly nervous. 

"Hi..." Victoria Chase nervously walked in. Instantly Max was on high alert.

_"What the hell is she doing in KATE'S room?"_ Max felt her face get hot, and it wasn't from the tea. She urged herself to calm down.

"Not to be rude, but what are you doing in my room?" Kate asked.

"Oh I uh..." Victoria looked away. "I hear conversation, and I was feeling a little lonely. Do you mind if I join you guys?" 

Max was about to protest, but she looked hard at Victoria's face. She really did look upset. She looked a little homesick, a little bored, but mostly worried. This concerned Max greatly. What could have swayed Victoria so hard to spend time with such a lowlife as Max herself?

"Of course. I think I might have enough tea for another cup." Kate said, kind as hospitable as usual. Naturally, their relationship had not yet severed, and Max was hoping it never will. With how Victoria is behaving, Max might not need to intervene so much. It was... odd.

"That would be nice, thank you." 

"You look worried." Max spoke up, and immediately regretted it. "Is there something you wanna talk about?"

Victoria sighed. "I know you must think I'm a total bitch, Max."

"No. Not at all."

"Well if you're friends with Rachel, you have a right to think that. I treated her like shit."

"Is this a conversation I should not be a part of, or...?" Kate whispered so only Max could hear. Max reassured her it would be fine.

"I had a bad experience at high school, and it took me a while to stop blaming Rachel. 'Perfect little Rachel'. I hate to say it, but I get jealous easily."

Max blinked. Hadn't taken long for that to come forward. 

"Rachel and Chloe helped me see past that. And they often talked about a young girl who inspired them a lot. One who was incredibly powerful. She was always kind, always sincere, and she never let you down. They said they only got to where they were because of those qualities. Because of you, Max." 

Max's heart swelled and she smiled, but she said nothing

"And they said I could do that, too. Instead of hiding behind a veil of jealousy and fake friends." Victoria continued.

"What do mean?" Kate asked. "Who was that girl I saw you talking to earlier?"

"Oh. Taylor." Victoria nodded. "She's nice, but we're only friends because we're in the same circle. You guys aren't, unfortunately."

Max shrugged. "Good thing I don't care."

"And that's why I admire you. Chloe told me you just didn't care. And I wish I could too, but I just can't."

"So what, Rachel and Chloe stopped you from being an overly-jealous and cliquey bitch just like that?" Max snapped her fingers as emphasis. 

"That's awfully blunt, but yes."

Kate narrowed her eyes at Victoria. "You haven't touched your tea. That's not why you're worried, is it? You're not worried at not making real friends, or losing the ones you have-"

"I am actually. Thank you for reminding me."

"I mean, that's not what's on your mind right now."

"You're very perceptive."

"I'm a Christian. I'm supposed to be judgemental." 

Victoria laughed. "No, truth be told. I'm worried about... Nathan." She looked at Max as she said his name. Max's bones turned cold.

"Yeah? How come?" Max asked.

"I called him like three times today, but he didn't answer his phone. He called me later on to tell me to leave him alone."

"You think he's cutting you off?" Kate asked

"I think he's hiding something."

Max's hand instinctively went to her pocket, feeling the stolen phone. "What could he be hiding?"

"You mean apart from how much his mental health is deterioriating?" Victoria raised an eyebrow at Max. Max pursed her lips. "I don't really know."

"Are you guys... dating?" Kate asked hesitantly.

Victoria laughed. "God! Could you imagine?" She shook her head. "Nathan can barely comprehend his thoughts at times. I can't expect him to deal with complicated feelings like admiration. Let alone love."

"Do you want us to do something?" Max asked.

Victoria shook her head and sipped her tea. "Right now I just need the company. I mean, REAL company. People who will keep me honest, down to Earth." 

"And you went for a lowlife and a devout Christian?" 

"You two seem like the people who will keep me sane. You don't immediately hate me, but you don't automatically fawn over me because of my, or my parents, statuses."

"Sounds like high school was lonely." Kate said.

"High school was my fault." Victoria waved her hand. "I projected my insecurities that I got from my parents. I know photography, or any form of art for that matter, is a brutal industry that requires a lot of work and in many cases, drama. But that doesn't excuse high school."

"I wish we could just live in a world where people could do what they wished, when they wished." Kate said sadly. 

Victoria grimaced and said nothing. 

"Do you think there's any way to help Nathan? Without his father knowing?"

"How on Earth do you know so much about Nathan, Max?" Victoria narrowed her eyes.

"I'm an Arcadia born and bred." Max leaned back in her chair. "Who doesn't know everything there is to know about Nathan? Besides, I'm friends with Rachel. No doubt he would have told her his whole life story."

"Even Rachel wouldn't have heard jack shit about Nathan's father." 

"Oh my God, Victoria." Max rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows he's a piece of shit. And even if I did know more than I'm letting on, we should be concerned about Nathan here, not about what I know."

Victoria scowled, but nodded. "I can't afford to not trust people. But I gotta be cautious, too. For Nathan's sake."

Max nodded. 

"You seemed to just have a knack for reality checks. So if you could help Nathan when I can't, I'm sure he'll really appreciate it."

Max gritted her teeth, trying not to remember her close shave in Nathan's room just over an hour ago. "Yeah. That sounds good."

"We should probably all exchange numbers." Victoria suggested, and Kate agreed. Max was hesitant. A part of her still truly despised Victoria, but she could clearly see that she changed, and so drastically too. Max wasn't sure how the hell Victoria completely flipped her moral compass the way she did, but it must have been Rachel's influence. Max quelled her pride and gave Victoria her number. "Cool." Victoria smiled when everyone was done. She looked at Max and Kate carefully. "You know? As simple as this is, I think I might really enjoy these tea sessions. Assuming you guys continue them in the future." 

"Of course, you're welcome any time, Victoria." Kate said, slightly unsure. 

Victoria smiled weakly. "Thanks. You guys seem like good people. True friends, you know?"

"You really mean that?" Kate asked, a slight look of fear in her eyes. 

"Of course. I don't have anything to gain from lying." She looked away. "Not anymore." She looked back at Kate. "I should get going. Thanks for the tea, it was lovely."

"You're very welcome." Kate replied, and then Victoria left.

"Well that was weird." Max said. 

"What do you mean?" Kate asked. 

Max gestured to the door. "That's not Victoria. Not how I'd known her."

Kate look confused. "But... you didn't... know her..." Kate spoke slowly. "Before this week, I mean."

"I talk to Rachel and Chloe often when I was in Seattle." Max said. "They HATED Victoria. Victoria tried to sabotage Rachel's performance at The Tempest several years ago."

"That's awful, yes, but that was years ago. She said herself she acted like a... well. You know what she said. And she regretted it."

Max looked at the ground. "I can't bring myself to trust her. Not yet."

"Perhaps more tea sessions with her will quell your doubt."

Max chuckled. "How eloquent."

"I do enjoy reading." Kate smiled. "Which reminds me: Do you want to read this? I've finished it. It's good." Kate reached into a small cubby hole and brought out a copy of The October Country by Ray Bradbury.

Max stared at it as she took it from Kate's giving hands. She said nothing for the longest time.

"You alright? You look a little spooked." Kate said. "Do you recgonise it?"

"In a sense." Max replied finally. "It's... awfully fitting that I see this today."

"Why is that?" 

"I can't really explain. All I can say is it's... strange."

"Life is strange, Max." 

Max resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "You read that somewhere, too?"

"No, just came up with it on the fly."

Max laughed. "You know, Kate, I think we're going to be good friends." Max placed her hand on Kate's arm, and suddenly wanted nothing more than to pull her in and hug her, tell her she was sorry, that she should have done more, that she shouldn't have let her walk up to the roof. But she didn't do any of that. 

Kate placed her other hand on top of Max's. "I think so too. Let's do this again some time." 

"That would be nice." Max stood up, and walked back to her room. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kate taking the cups and walking to the bathroom. She suddenly felt really tired. She went into her room and collapsed onto her bed. Within seconds she was asleep.


	18. Surprise Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max’s nap is rudely interrupted by an incredibly stressed neighbour. Afterwards, Max has a charming evening with Rachel, and their relationship starts developing.

"MAX!" 

Max was startled awake. An incessantly loud and repetitive knock banged on her bedroom door, accompanied by an equally incessantly loud voice. 

"MAX CAULFIELD OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!" 

It was Victoria's voice. 

Max groggily opened her eyes. While it was still light out, Max could tell she'd been asleep for several hours. She was starving. She ambled over to her bedroom door and opened it.

"MAX-" Victoria stopped. "Were you... asleep?" She asked slowly. 

"Yes. Don't judge. What's so urgent that you almost knocked my door down?"

Victoria, unexpectedly, grabbed Max's collar and tugged her towards her. 

"Urk-!" Max cried.

"What the hell did you do to Nathan!?" Victoria cried.

"What are you talking about?" Max's voice was strained. "Put me down!" 

Victoria dropped her. She hurried into Max's bedroom and slammed the door shut. 

"Jesus Christ what did the door ever do to you?"

"This is no time for funny hahas, Maxine."

"Don't call me that." Max said through gritted teeth. 

"You don't get to tell me what to do, bitch!" Victoria pressed her finger on Max's upper chest. "I make the rules around here, you got that? Now, I'll ask again: What the fuck did you to Nathan Prescott?" Victoria snarled.

"Nothing- I don't know what you're on about-" Max stammered.

"THEN WHY IS NATHAN RANTING ON ABOUT YOU HAVING TIME POWERS!? AND THAT YOU THREATENED HIM WITH A GUN!?" Victoria screamed.

"CALM DOWN!" Max cried. "Don't tell the whole dorm about it!"

"So it's true!?" Victoria's mouth dropped.

"What? No!" Max replied. "The fuck kinda drugs are you on? Of course that's not true! This is just another one of Nathan's delusions!"

"Well obviously you've done something to trigger it!" Victoria said. "All of Nathan's delusions are based around traumatic events that he's had, and until today, they were all about his father!" 

"Well I-"

"Isn't so coincidental that you immediately rushed to his aid yesterday and just snapped him out of his episode immediately the day you arrive, and then the next day he invites you to his room and fucking loses all sense of reality!" Victoria interrupted before Max could explain. "Oh, and wanna know the best part?"

Max grimaced. "What's the best part?"

"He thinks it's real. All of his delusions, once he's calmed down, he realises they weren't real. Now? He's convinced you're some sort of time magician, and that you threatened him with a gun!"

Max was panicking. "I don't know... Maybe one of our conversations scared him and that manifested. I can barely remember any of it! The whole entire time I just wanted to leave. He creeps me out."

"Oh why because he's weird? Deranged? Mentally unstable?" Victoria plucked words out of the air, each one pricking Max's heart like an acupunture procedure. "Yes, Nathan can be difficult, but you know that's not his fault!" Victoria shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, I don't know if you actually did anything to him, I'm just worried about my friend. Sorry for yelling at you."

"No, I should be sorry. Maybe I said something or did something, or maybe it was one of my photographs, I don't know. But this does mean he's getting worse, so we really have to help him."

"I don't see what we could do." Victoria sighed. "It's us against Sean fucking Prescott." 

"There have been stranger upsets." Max shrugged. 

"Yes but not only are our lives at stake, but the lives of everyone we love, too." Victoria looked Max in eyes. "He could shut down Two Whales with a snap of his fingers, and believe me, I love it there. Oddly." Victoria broke eye contact. "As much as I don't like Chloe Price, her family has suffered enough."

Max considered Victoria for a moment. "Then perhaps we should work together. All of us." 

Victoria looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we don't have to face Sean Prescott directly, and I'm pretty good at snooping, so I could find some official documentation or letters that proof Nathan needs help and give it Principal Wells." 

"Wells won't do anything." Victoria dismissed her with a wave of her hand. "Idiot drunk only cares about money from the Prescott foundation. Best give it to the school nurse, if she is even still here."

"He helped Chloe." Max smiled.

"Yeah because the D.A. threatened to take him to court if he didn't." Victoria said. When Max raised an eyebrow, Victoria said. "Oh come on, even the faculty secrets spread quickly. Besides, how do you expect to get this information? Where do you start?"

"Well... what if I told you Mark Jefferson was secretely a predator who kidnaps and drugs young women to photograph them in his secret bunker paid for and in Nathan Prescott's name, using help of said boy that he's been grooming since he first came to Blackwell?"

Victoria raised both her eyebrows and her voice. "I'd say you're about as delusional as Nathan Prescott is. Mr. Jefferson has done so much for the school and the Arcadia Bay community as a whole and if you don't-"

Max cut her off with a wave of her right hand. She quickly rewound Victoria's speech.

"Where do you start?" Victoria's image quickly reverted back to normal.

Max shrugged. "I don't know. How about you just keep a close eye on Nathan for now. Really hit the pretend 'boyfriend and girlfriend' thing home."

"Now you're just making me sad, Caulfield." Victoria sighed. "But if you think it'll help. You, on the other hand, should stay away from him."

"Agreed." Max breathed a sigh of relief at the suggestion. "I'll make sure of that, Victoria."

"Good. Glad we're cool." Victoria said. She opened the door. "Oh, and call me Vicky."

"Sure thing, Vicky."

Vicky frowned. "On second thoughts, don't call me Vicky."

"Sure thing, V."

Victoria shrugged, and left, closing the door behind her. "See you later, Max."

Max stepped away from the door, her head spinning. "I can't believe I just let Victoria in on my plan." She considered her options. "This could go both ways, and considering Nathan's reaction to all this and Victoria's reaction to Nathan, it'll most likely head South." Max breathed. "I'm... sure it will be fine." For whatever reason, Max felt like panicking, like the weight of her choices was finally beginning to weigh on her again. "I tried to play God once, I know I'm not invincible."

"She's not invincible, you know." Her mother's voice rang through her head, and she immediately thought about Chloe. 

"Chloe..." Max sighed out loud. Her week was almost over, and she hadn't been giving her best friend much thought these past two days. She didn't know Chloe's exact work schedule, but she knew she wasn't studying anymore, so she figured it would be quite full. She shook her head. "I'll just ask Rachel." She walked down the hallway to Rachel's room and was about to knock when she stopped. "I can't just ask Rachel when Chloe's off work. What will she think?" Max thought to herself. "The last thing I want is for Rachel to think I'm trying to get between them." She remembered the kiss Chloe gave her in her truck the other night. "But... what does Chloe want?" She slumped down the door and sat down. "She's with Rachel but she's in love with me? I don't get it." She thought about Rachel, and started speaking out loud."And Rachel's amazing." She smiled. "She's as gorgeous as Chloe said she was. Photos don't capture her beauty. She's funny, she's smart, she's a brilliant actress, she's- WOAH!" She cried as the door opened behind her and she fell over.

"I thought I heard voices outside my door." Rachel laughed. 

Max looked up at Rachel from the bedroom floor. "H... Hi Rachel..." She giggled nervously. 

"Oh my God, Max, listen to yourself. You sound like a 14-year-old obsessed with a boy." She offered a hand, which Max took. "Come on, get up."

"Hi Rachel, I was about to go somewhere, but..." 

"You were about to ask me when Chloe finishes work." Rachel interrupted, smiling slyly. 

"I... um...." 

"Oh my God how the hell you managed to infiltrate Nathan Prescott's bunker with this, I wouldn't know."

"Hey! That's a hell of a lot easier than-"

"Than what?" Rachel smirked. "Talking to a pretty girl?" She sat down on her bed, stretching out her legs, which were smooth from a recent shave. She was wearing only a loose-fitting t-shirt and denim short shorts. Max started sweating. 

"No it's uh..." Max forced herself to turn away and take a deep breath. "God. It's obvious now. I love Chloe, and she loves me." She exhaled after she said it.

"I know. Chloe told me." Rachel replied, then sighed. "She told me the day you arrived at Blackwell. She realised how much she missed you. Why she was so distraught once you left. Why she needed someone so badly." 

Max became utterly fixated on the carpet, but said nothing.

"So yes, sometimes I feel like a temporary replacement for the person she truly loves, but I look at her, and the way she looks at me, the way she always got flustered whenever I gave her something, the way she kisses me..." Rachel smiled. "I just know. She loves me."

Max felt awkward. "She... she kissed me."

"She kissed you?" Rachel replied.

"You didn't know?"

Rachel blinked. "I mean... Chloe said she might, and probably would, but I didn't think she actually would do it."

"Please don't be mad at her for it." 

"God Max, it's not that big of a deal, you can breathe." 

Max breathed in and out. 

“And to answer your question, she has afternoons off on Thursdays. She’ll finish around 1 tomorrow.” 

“Cool.” Max sat up on the bed next to Rachel, closing the distance. Rachel backed up slightly, acting on instinct, then slowly moved back towards her. “And how are you doing?”

“Oh onto me now, are we?” Rachel laughed. “Nah. I’m alright. Same shit as always here.”

“Boring?”

“Immensely boring.” Rachel laughed again. “We should chill more often.”

“I’ve been hella busy when I’m not napping.”

“Did you just say ‘Hella?’” Rachel asked, and Max blushed. “God you will always be Chloe’s best friend.” She shuffled along so she was leaning against the wall, a pillow propped up behind her. “Did you know it was me that introduced that to Chloe?”

“Really?”

“Yeah. First time we properly hung out. When we ditched school together.” Rachel smiled. “I remember that fondly. Got Chloe was so nervous, it would have been pathetic if it weren’t so cute.”

Max giggled. “I know that feeling. But I thought you met at the concert?”

“The only thing I remember from that night was me hitting a bulls-eye on some douchebag's forehead and a night of sick music.” Rachel grinned. “Twas a good night. We were both drunk by the end of it.”

“I’ll bet.” It was Max’s turn to look smug. “Chloe told me you crashed at her place. In her bed.”

“Oh please.” Rachel rolled her eyes. “Just cause I got in before you did. Hope you like sloppy seconds.” 

“Ew! Don’t wanna hear about it!” Max held her hands at arm’s length and pulled a face. 

Rachel crawled towards Max. “Oh you wanna hear all of the grisly details don’t you?”

Max backed up, sweating. Her heart started pounding. For whatever reason, Rachel had an incredibly alluring effect on Max, something that only Chloe could rival with great effort. For Rachel, it seemed effortless. “Yes. Of course I do.” Max replied sarcastically. 

Rachel inched closer, until she was right in Max’s face. “If you insist.” She smiled. “Well the first time we had sex, we-“

Max kissed her. 

Rachel recoiled backwards. “Max!”

Max was stunned. She hadn’t meant to, her mind just worked on its own. “I’m sorry Rachel…” she put her hands over face. “Oh my God I’m such an idiot.” 

“Max, wait!” Rachel said, stopping Max before she could raise her right hand. “Don’t erase it. Please.”

Max lowered her hand. “Hardly fair when I still remember it, huh?”

“Y… yes, but I meant I didn’t… dislike it… I was just surprised. That’s all.”

“I’m sorry. I still shouldn’t have done it.” Max slumped on the bed slightly. 

“Hey, Max. It’s okay.” Rachel reached out her hand grabbed Max’s hand, squeezing it. “I’m glad you apologised. Yes, it was dumb, but you, alongside Chloe, are my best friend. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

Max looked up briefly and smiled, before looking down again. 

“What say you, me, and Chloe all go somewhere together tomorrow? After she’s finished work?”

Max smiled and looked at Rachel. “I know exactly where to go.”

“We’ll have to shift things around so you’ll fit, assuming no-one else has taken our special spot.” Rachel smiled. “God I haven’t been there in ages.” 

“It’s probably gonna be way different to how I remember it.”

“Consider that a good thing. You know, since I’m not buried right in the middle, haha.” Rachel laughed awkwardly. 

Max sucked air through her teeth. “Yeah that was traumatic. Best to not think about it.” 

“But yeah. So tomorrow, at 1, we have lunch at the Two Whales and then go straight to the junkyard?”

“Hell yeah. Sounds awesome.”

“Then it’s a date.” Rachel said, booping Max’s nose with her finger. “Now.” Rachel said, grabbing her phone. “Let’s have pizza.”

“Oh- okay.” Max faltered, before smiling. “That would be nice.”

“I’ve got money to burn and friends to hang out with.” Rachel said. She gave her phone to Max. “Just select what you want.”

“Me?”

“Yes, dingus. I’ll got two pizzas, and of course we need garlic bread.”

“It would be a crime to not have garlic bread.” Max nodded. 

“Punishable by death.”

Max giggled. She punched in her order and handed the phone back to Rachel. 

“Ew.” Rachel pulled a face when she saw the order.

“Excuse me?” Max said.

“Oh my God Max, your face! I’m only kidding.” Rachel laughed. “I can hardly talk, since I’m getting pineapple on pizza.”

“EW!” Max cried. “I don’t know if I wanna be friends with you anymore.”

“Well in that case you won’t be wanting any pizza.” Rachel sighed. “How sad.”

Max giggled. She liked this playful side of Rachel. 

“Boom. Order sent.” Rachel said. “Wanna watch a movie?” 

“Why the fuck not?” Max smiled. “Ooo! Do you have Blade Runner?”

“Blade Runner? That’s an odd choice… wait… isn’t that Chloe’s favourite movie?”

“We watched it a lot when we were kids.” 

“Ah. I see. You’re lucky I have it. You sure you want to watch it without her?”

Max shrugged and smiled. “New memories.” 

“Fair enough.” Rachel grinned. She grabbed her laptop and put it on the bed. After a few minutes of searching she found the disc and inserted it. A few minutes later and the pizza arrived, which Rachel quickly ran down the stairs to pay for before racing back up to her room. “God I’m starving.”

Max frowned. “How late is it?” She asked, noticing how hungry she was as well. 

“Like 8? We have been talking for a while.”

“Jesus. God I’m starving.” 

“Well dig in!” 

Max took a bit of her pizza and sighed deeply. She took a brief moment to revel in her satisfaction before turning her attention to Rachel’s laptop, which was starting to play the movie. Max briefly lamented on her night with Chloe when she was a quadriplegic. 

“Hey Rachel…?” 

“Yeah Max?”

Max swallowed. “Promise me you won’t fall asleep?”

“Weird thing to promise, but okay.”

“Thanks Rachel.” Max smiled and turned her attention back to the movie. She remembered resting her arm on Chloe’s leg, and considered doing the same to Rachel. Rachel was lying down on her stomach, watching the movie, so Max moved her pizza box and lay down next to her, leaning her head on Rachel’s shoulder. 

“I’ll allow it just this once, Caulfield.” Rachel smiled. 

“Only once? You sure?” Max said smugly, nuzzling her head into the shoulder. 

Surprisingly, Rachel actually blushed. “Well… if you give me some time…”

Max remembered Chloe saying how Rachel needed time to figure out her own feelings. “Of course.” 

The rest of the movie was watched in complete silence. Every so often Max would look over at Rachel, and Rachel would smile back, indicating that she hadn’t fallen asleep. Max giggled when Rachel looked like her brain had completely shut off near the end. By the end of the movie Rachel was struggling to stay awake. 

“Wow. Miss Early Bird here.” Max laughed. 

“Shut up. I always get tired during movies.” Rachel sat up and yawned. “You can take your pizza with you, but the garlic bread is mine.”

Max rolled her eyes. “If you insist, madam.”

“Hey I paid for it!”

“And I thank you for it.” Max said, getting off the bed and picking up her pizza. She turned around to see Rachel taking her shirt off. “Oh my God Rachel! What the fuck!”

“Huh? What?” Rachel said sleepily. “Oh yeah. I’m just so used to undressing in front of Chloe.” She shrugged. “I’m wearing a bra, you can look.” 

Max slowly lowered her hand. Rachel was indeed, wearing a bra. Max struggled to maintain eye contact. Rachel regarded her. 

“You’re not as bad as Chloe, but you still look pathetic.” 

Max frowned. 

“It’s like that scene from Scrubs - ‘quickly look before your neck snaps.’” Rachel laughed. 

Max kept her head rigid. 

Rachel shrugged. She got off the bed. “You better leave so I can get undressed.”

“You sleep naked?” Max asked. 

“Yeah, who doesn’t?”

“Uh… normal people?”

“Max you’re a lot of things, but you’re not normal.” Rachel replied. 

“Well I-“

“And that’s a good thing.” Rachel interrupted. “You just need more self-confidence.”

Max looked down at her body and said nothing.

“Anyway, I had fun tonight, and we’ll all have fun tomorrow.” Rachel smiled. She leaned over and kissed Max’s cheek. “Goodnight, Max.” 

Max lightly touched the spot where Rachel kissed her. She smiled. “Yeah. Sounds good. Goodnight, Rachel.” 

When Max got back to her room, she undressed and picked up her pajama shirt. “What the hell.” She said, tossing it on the floor and climbed into bed. After an hour of thinking back and forth about Rachel and the kisses, she fell asleep. 

  
  



	19. Crumbling Estate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max, against Victoria's wishes, goes to see Nathan again. Max's powers decide to take over, and she finds herself in a very difficult situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING FOR HEAVY PARENTAL ABUSE IN THIS CHAPTER. GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF PHYSICAL AND VERBAL ABUSE. PLEASE TAKE CAUTION.
> 
> Tags have been updated.

“Is this your mother?”

“With my sister, yeah.”

Max smiled. She regarded the photograph she was holding carefully. For whatever reason, Nathan held this photograph very dear to his heart, and as a result, kept it hidden until now. Max cursed in her head for somehow finding her way back to Nathan Prescott’s bedroom. She shrugged. He had insisted, after all, and you never refuse a Prescott. Max rubbed her head. 

“I took that photograph about 4 years ago. It was the first one I took outside of school, the day Mom bought me a new camera.” Nathan smiled. 

“I can see why this photo is so special to you.”

“It is. I’d hate to lose it.” 

Max tried to give it back to him, but he shook his head. 

“You can keep holding onto it, for now.”

Max frowned slightly. Nathan was being way too trusting with her, considering what had happened only a few days ago. Max held it down by her side, tight enough to make sure it didn’t fall, but loose enough so that she didn’t damage it. It may have been framed, but Max figured she could never be too careful with a photograph. She knew that all too well. Max wasn’t really paying attention to Nathan, and he wasn’t paying attention to her. She liked that. She looked around. The couch had been shifted back into its original spot. Max wondered if Nathan wanted his second cellphone back. He hadn’t asked yet, so she assumed he didn’t care. If he had managed to stay away from Jefferson, then his father would be the only other person to use it, considering Frank Bowers was well out of the picture. Max was suddenly worried what would happen if Sean Prescott realised Nathan wasn’t returning his calls or texts. Max shook her head. All this worrying was making her head hurt, and she needed it clear in case Nathan had an episode. Nathan seemed fine, rummaging around his portfolios, although he was uncharacteristically sweet. Max felt her blood run cold as she was reminded of Warren. The last thing she needed was  _ two  _ men romantically invested in her. 

“Here!” Nathan said enthusiastically as he handed her a photo.

“It’s… a dead bird.” Max said matter-of-factly. “Fascinating.”

“Do you like it?” Nathan asked eagerly, missing the sarcasm.

Not wanting to upset Nathan, she studied the photo more carefully. She noticed some shadows that were expertly placed. The photo was taken low to the ground, so Max realised he must have been lying on bare concrete. The slight upward angle highlighted the swarm of flies slowly approaching the bird’s corpse. Max shuddered. Nathan had definitely put a lot of thought into this photograph. The flies looked huge from that angle. As did the bird, although that was because it was so close to the camera. Nathan clearly had an odd attraction to death. Not only did it seem to follow him, he seemed to follow it. 

Max coughed. “It’s really impressive, Nathan.” She said as she handed it back to him. “I like the angles, and the shadows are really good too.” 

“Thank you.” Nathan smiled, and promptly put the photograph back into his folder. Max felt her head start to burn. “It was kinda a spur of the moment thing. I saw the dead bird on the ground, and then the flies approaching… it called to me.”

“I can see that.” Max nodded. It was getting harder for her to follow along.

“Do you wanna know the most ironic thing?”

Max shuddered. “Okay…”

“I took this outside of the Two Whales.”

Max’s heart thumped in her chest. “Wow.”

“A place so full of life inside, but the second you step out, it’s the same-old deathpit that is Arcadia Bay.” 

For once, Max was in agreement. She had no idea he thought so highly of the Two Whales. Max winced as her head started protesting. 

“You okay?” Nathan asked. 

Max was confused by Nathan’s concern, but she was worried he might seize the opportunity to drug her if she asked for painkillers. “I’m fine. Thank you, though.” Nathan shrugged. Max could smell the disappointment reeking off him. Max shook her head.  _ “He could actually just be trying to help, I should stop being so hard on him. Things have changed after all.” _ Max sighed.

“Do you wanna see more of my-”

“SHIT!” Max cried. Her head start pounding visciously as her heartrate sped up. She felt the photo burn in her hand. “Oh crap.” She whispered out loud. She looked around. Much to her horror, the walls were slowly starting to burn, white and red. “But I’m not in this photo! I wasn’t even looking at it!” She yelled.

“Max? What the hell are you talking about?” Nathan asked, more curious than actually worried.

“No no no no no no!” Max screamed. The white and red walls slowly closed in around her. She saw Nathan’s image being erased. The walls grew closer and closer. Closer. Closer still. Until everything was gone. 

*

Max gasped as she awoke. 

“Kristine, are you okay?” A woman standing above her said.

“Sorry. The flash scared me.” Max said, acutely aware about how natural it felt to lie. That worried her. She looked forward and saw Nathan smiling with his camera, very satisfied. He looked to be about 14 or 15 years old, and the camera looked brand new, and very expensive. Max looked around. She was clearly at the Prescott estate, and they were standing in front of a large fountain.  _ “How gaudy. Very Prescott.”  _ She looked down. She was certainly a lot taller and… curvier… than her normal self. She realised her consciousness had been transferred into the body of Kristine Prescott. 

This happened for a reason. 

“Come on. Show us the photograph, Nathan.” The woman, who Max assumed must have been Nathan and Kristine’s mother, smiled to Nathan. Nathan happily ran over and gave the camera to his mother, taking the strap off from around his neck. “Wow! This is amazing, Nathan!”

Max was genuinely eager to see the photograph. “Let me see, Mom!” It felt incredibly weird to call another woman ‘Mom’, especially one she hadn’t met before. Max was aware that Kristine was older than Nathan, but she wasn’t sure how much older. She guessed a few years. 

“Aren’t you eager!” Mrs. Prescott smiled. After looking briefly for a little bit longer at the camera, she handed it Max. 

“It’s beautiful.” Max smiled. She looked closely at the image of Nathan’s sister.  _ “She’s beautiful.”  _ She thought. Max guessed she was around 18 at least in the photo. In the distance, she thought she saw a blue butterfly resting above them on top of the garden fountain. She handed the camera back to Nathan, who promptly put it back around his neck. Max considered Nathan carefully. He was… happy. Genuinely happy. That he could share a moment as precious as a photograph with his family. The thought of that being a rare occurrence for Nathan made Max cry. 

“Kristine? Are you okay?” Mrs. Prescott asked, very concerned.

“Yeah I’m fine. It’s just a very beautiful photo. I’m proud of you, little bro.” She said, remembering how Kristine, the real Kristine, phrased her email to Nathan. 

“Thanks, sis.” Nathan smiled. He looked a little awkward, but he seemed like he appreciated the compliment greatly. It was clear Nathan looked up to his sister. 

Mrs. Prescott’s face turned white. “Quick! Put the camera away!” She shouted. 

Nathan whipped his head around, and Max could hear a car approaching them, its tires crunching on the gravel. Nathan took the camera off from around his neck and ran inside. Mrs. Prescott ran to the car to greet the driver. A chauffeur stepped out of the now parked car and opened the backseat door. Out came Sean Prescott, who barely acknowledged his wife, instead deciding to storm angrily towards the house.

“Oh, leave it, Sean!” Mrs. Prescott tried to say, but Mr. Prescott wasn’t having any of it.

“Dad- wait!” Max tried, but if he paid little attention to his wife, Mr. Prescott paid even less to his daughter. Max stamped her foot angrily. Mrs. Prescott shook her head sadly.

“I just hope he got the camera away in time.”

“Well can’t we do something!?” Max cried. She was shocked that not only Mrs. Prescott knew what was going on, but that she was aware her daughter was too, and still they did nothing to stop it. 

“And what? Risk getting hurt ourselves?” Mrs. Prescott said, defeated. “We both still have a chance.”

“He’s a  _ kid. _ He didn’t ask for this.” Max protested, finally starting to feel weird speaking in another girl’s voice.

Mrs. Prescott said nothing. Max turned around and ran towards the house before Mrs. Prescott could protest. Max had no idea where Nathan’s room was, and the sheer size of the estate was massive. Max’s head began to spin. Luckily for her, Sean Prescott’s footsteps angrily banged somewhere in the distance. Max ran up the stairs towards the noise. 

“What the hell are you doing in my room, Dad?” Nathan asked, loudly with an expertly false air of confusion. He was clearly used to this by now.

“You better not be fucking around with that damn camera again!” Mr. Prescott growled angrily. Max cursed as she moved from room to room, hallway to hallway, searching for the source of the noise.

“Of course not! I was in my room when I heard the car!”

“Bullshit!” Nathan’s father growled. “Don’t fucking lie to me. I hate liars! Did you, or did you not, use that camera your mother bought you!?”

“What are you talking about?” Nathan asked, his voice faltering. 

“I SAID DON’T LIE TO ME!” Mr. Prescott yelled and slammed the door. Max found him. “Give it to me right now, or I will find it, and I will destroy it myself.”

Nathan started crying.

“Shut up! You’re so pathetic!”

Max could barely handle it, but she wasn’t brave enough to intervene. Downstairs, she could hear Mrs. Prescott calling their names.

“Why are you doing this, Dad?” Nathan whimpered. 

“Because life is tough, boy. And you need to be taught that, one way or another. Taking shitty photographs won’t run the estate! You want to keep the Prescott title, don’t you?”

“But I-”

“BUTTS ARE FOR ASHTRAYS!” Sean Prescott yelled, stomping towards Nathan. “Don’t you talk back to me, ever! Got that?”

Max saw Nathan nod solemnly.

“Good. Now show me the camera.”

Nathan slowly took his brand new camera out from a hidden shelf in his walk-in wardrobe and handed it to his father.

“Good.” Sean said calmly, before promptly smacking Nathan in the head with it, causing him to collapse on the floor. 

Finally, Max had had enough. “STOP IT!” She yelled in Kristine Prescott’s voice, trying her hardest to keep her voice steady. “For once in your life leave him alone!”

“Stay out of this, Kristine! You know the man of the house needs to be tough. My job ain’t for silly little women.”

Max was shocked. Nathan’s father was not only abusive, but a misogynistic prick. Sean dropped the camera and took off his belt. He wrapped part of it around his hand and used the loose end to strike Nathan again, who just lay on the floor in the fetal position, hands covering his face. 

Max did the only thing she thought was right. She ran up to Sean and grabbed him from behind, heaving him away from Nathan. “Stay the fuck away from my brother!|

“Kristine…” Nathan whimpered. 

“Get out of the way, Kristine! I won’t hesitate in hurting you too, you know!” He grinned evilly. 

Max scowled. She grabbed one of Nathan’s trophies off the shelf. It felt heavy in her hand. “Then come get me, coward.” She paced towards him slowly. 

Sean Prescott, suddenly very scared at the threat, backed off slightly. 

“I don’t want you anywhere near Nathan, or me, or Mom ever again.” Max growled. “Stay the fuck away from my family.” She spoke each word slowly and firmly. 

Sean Prescott scowled, but Max figured he didn’t fancy a fight with a large golden trophy, so he backed off, putting his belt on and leaving the bedroom. Nathan lay whimpering on the bedroom floor. Max turned around and knelt down next to Nathan. Considering the adult he becomes, Max felt vastly uncomfortable being this close to him, but wanting to play the part of the sister, Max hugged him. 

He seemed like he needed it.

“It’ll be fine, Nathan. I’m here. He won’t hurt you again. Ever. That’s a promise.”

Nathan could only whimper. Max looked up, and saw the red and white walls closing in. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mrs. Prescott standing at the door, crying.

*

Max awoke. Her eyes burned as did her head. She rubbed her eyes, slowly processing what just happened. 

_ “My powers… sent me into a photograph I was never in… And I woke up in Kristine Prescott’s body… What the fuck is happening to me…”  _ Max felt her thoughts swirl around her head. She sat up, and realised she was in a strange bed, and a strange room. Instantly she was on alert. Next to her, a glass of water and some paracetamol sat on a small bedside table. Max blinked. Clearly, wherever she was, the host knew her well. She drank the water and swallowed the pills, before getting out of bed. She suddenly felt very cold. 

“Oh my God…” Max said, disgusted. She was naked. She had never slept naked. She felt gross. She put on some clothes that were lying on the floor and opened the curtains. She looked out over a part of Arcadia Bay she hadn’t seen before. “I’m in… an apartment?” She said aloud. She blinked several times before opening the window. A gust of warm air blew in, and a blue bird flew past the window. She shrugged. She opened the door and stepped out into the living room.

“Morning, sleepyhead.” Chloe giggled from the kitchen. She seemed to frying something on the stove. Rachel was sitting at a table, drinking a cup of some hot beverage.

“Good… morning…” Max said slowly. She was confused.  _ “Since when was I living with Chloe and Rachel? What happened to the dorm?” _ Max felt her heart stop.  _ “Oh shit! Sean Prescott! What the hell did I do to him?”  _ She cursed herself for acting on impulse again. She sighed. “ _ Good things can still come from this, though. I just don’t have the fucking photograph this time.”  _

“Woah! You look like you’ve woken from a pretty bad nightmare!” Rachel said. “Come, sit down. I’ll make you coffee.”

“Coffee?” Max said aloud. She shrugged.  _ “I guess I do need it.”  _

“Yeah you look really out of it.” Chloe said, turning to face Max as she put the fried bacon and eggs onto plates. “You sure you’re okay?”

Max shook her head. “A nightmare is one to way to put what I just went through.”

Rachel and Chloe’s eyes widened as they stared at each other. Immediately Chloe threw the pan down and sat down at the table, ignoring the food. Max slowly sat down in a chair opposite Chloe and Rachel.

“So. What happened?” Chloe promptly asked.

“I don’t know, it was really bizarre…” Max sighed. “First, I was in Nathan’s room at the Blackwell dorm…”

“Blackwell dorm?” Rachel asked. “Blackwell’s never had a dorm.”

“What?” Max asked. “But Sean Prescott donated a bunch of money to-”

“Sean Prescott? You mean that rich guy?” Chloe asked. “Max, Sean Prescott died in a car crash three years ago.”

“Yeah. Apparently he was driving with his wife, then all of a sudden he swerved and bam! Drive straight into a truck.” Rachel added.

“Both of them were killed instantly.” 

Max sat back in her chair and eyed them both. “Holy shit.”

“Ok. So what happened? What was Blackwell and Arcadia like before you… jumped?” Chloe asked.

“Well, Blackwell Academy had a dorm, and Nathan Prescott was an entitled shitbag going through some severe mental issues.”

“Well glad to see he’s not too different.” Rachel mumbled. 

“He was being abused by Sean Prescott, and Mark Jefferson was grooming him into becoming his accomplice.”

Chloe and Rachel stared at her. 

“You know, for drugging and kidnapping women to photograph them?”

“Ah. Right. Yes.” Chloe said. “Shit.”

“What happened to Nathan and Kristine?”   
  


“Is Kristine the girl?”

Max nodded. “His sister.”

“Well after their parents died so suddenly they inherited the estate.” Rachel said. “As Kristine was old enough, she become Nathan’s legal guardian.”

Chloe nodded. “She was only like, what, 19?”

“Something like that, yeah.” Rachel replied. “Nathan was admitted to a psych ward for his trauma from his asshole dad, and after a while he was released, as long as he had someone nearby to help him during psychotic episodes.”

“When Victoria Chase came along, she clung to him like a puppy. He was rich and vulnerable, exactly what she needed.” Chloe said.

“Don’t be so catty. She legit cares for him and is there for him. Plus she’s actually nice now.”

“I know, I know. She was still an asshole to me, though.”

“Actually she was more an asshole to me, you just took it more personally.” Rachel smiled. 

Chloe pursed her lips and said nothing.

“Holy shit. Okay.” Max sighed. “This is where it gets intense.”

“Sick! I’ve been waiting to hear this.” Chloe leaned forward.

“Don’t look so eager!” Rachel admonished her. “She looks fucking traumatised!”

“Right. Sorry.”

“Ok. So when we moved to the Blackwell dorm, that is no longer, I tasked myself to try and help Nathan so he didn’t go nuts and kill Rachel.”

“Right. Can’t forget that so easily.” Rachel said, sipping her coffee.

“For whatever reason, he became infatuated with me, and was constantly trying to show me his photo portfolio.”

“Ah yes, as all the bleeding hearts tend to do. How romantic.” Chloe said sarcastically.

“Didn’t Eliot try and write you poems?” Rachel laughed.

“Let’s not talk about him.” Chloe said suddenly.

“Anyway, he handed me a photo of his mother and his sister, standing outside their house.” 

“Okay…”

“And I felt the same sensation I felt when I…” Max gulped.

“When you what?” Chloe prompted.

“When I went back and saw your dad.”

Chloe’s face went white. “But I thought you could only travel through photos you were in?”

Max threw up her hands. “I know! That’s what I thought too. So let’s just say when I woke up in Kristine Prescott’s body, I had the shock of my life.”

“So that whole… standing up to Sean Prescott, practically kicking him out of his own house… that was you!?” Chloe cried.

“I kicked him out?”

“Well, that was an exaggeration, but yeah.”

Max shook her head. “Christ. How are they now? Kristine and Nathan?”

“Well Nathan is doing exceptionally well at Blackwell.” Rachel sighed. “His photography skills are so expert. Mark Jefferson holds him in high regard.”

“Oh shit! So that fucker is still teaching?”

“Yes, but the good news is, Kristine won’t let Nathan go anywhere without someone he doesn’t immediately trust, such as hired caregivers, Victoria, or Kristine herself.”

Max breathed a sigh of relief. “Finally, some good news.”

“So, I think you just saved Nathan Prescott.” Chloe smiled. 

“And by extension, me and Victoria.” Rachel grimaced.

“And me.” Chloe sucked the air through her teeth. 

Max stared at the table and said nothing.

“Anyway!” Chloe slapped her hand on the table. “You must be starving, after all that. Rachel, get our lovely girlfriend a coffee.”

“Sure thing, love.” Rachel smiled and got up. 

Max stared at them.  _ “I’m really… dating these two?”  _ Max smiled. She wanted to experience the moment herself, but she was happy she finally seemed like she was getting what she wanted. Nathan Prescott was finally in a better space, both physically and mentally, and Max was not only dating but living with the two people she loved the most. 

“How’re Joyce and David?” Max asked.

Chloe smiled. “They’re good. They actually had dinner with Rachel’s parents the other night.”

“It wasn’t the first time they met, but it was the first time they actually did something together.” Rachel smiled. 

“That’s good. Are they happy?”

Chloe looked at Max. “Yeah. That reminds me- you should call your parents at some point. Just because you ignored me for several months doesn’t mean you can do that to your parents.”

Max frowned. “I did that for a reason!” 

“Yeah, and I love you for it.” Chloe grabbed Rachel by the hip and dragged her closer to her than kissed her. Rachel yelped.

“I could have spilled hot coffee all over myself, you bitch!” Rachel laughed, holding the coffee expertely in one hand, and Max’s mug in the other.

“But you didn’t.” Chloe smirked. “Chalk it up to my great skills.” 

“I hate you so fucking much.” 

“Then why did you kiss me?” 

“You two are such dorks.” Max said. 

“Don’t think you’re out of the woods yet, missy.” Chloe said, carrying two plates of food over to her. She put one plate down in front of Rachel’s seat and one in front of Max. She gripped Max’s shoulders tightly. “Eat up, love.”

Max decided to play long. “I can’t. My arms are too sore.”

“Oh, well!” Chloe giggled. “That’s what I’m here for!” Chloe picked up Max’s knife and fork and started cutting Max’s food for her. “Open wide, bubba!” 

Max laughed and opened her mouth, and Chloe shoved the fork full of scrambled eggs and bacon into it. Food flung everywhere as Max started laughing. 

“Disgusting!” Chloe tutted. “Naughty baby! Food stays in your mouth!” 

Max couldn’t handle it. She started howling with laughter, and Chloe joined in. 

“Day drinking already are we, kids?” Rachel said, carrying over a mug of coffee for Max. “Drink up, buttercup.” She said soothingly, kissing the top of Max’s head.

Using both hands, Max reached up and grabbed Chloe and Rachel’s heads and held them. “I love you both so much.”

“And we love you too, Max.” Chloe said. “Now eat up. We only have this one day to spend together before tomorrow.”

Max almost choked on her food. “Wait, what’s the date today?”

“Sunday, September 1st.” Chloe said as she sat down to eat. “The day Billie Joe Armstrong’s dad died.” She turned to Rachel. 

“Oh my God, you know how much I love that song.” Rachel said, her hands over her heart. 

Max tuned out as Chloe and Rachel started singing Wake Me Up When September Ends, and started thinking of her plan.

Tomorrow was the big day. Her first day of classes at Blackwell Academy. 


	20. Passage of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max's exciting final day before class is spent... buying groceries. However, Max receives several startling surprises.

Max stepped out the door of the apartment, following Chloe and Rachel downstairs and out the building towards the parking lot, where Chloe’s “beast” was waiting for them. 

Chloe turned around and looked at Max. “I uh, made some alterations to the truck.”

Max stared in awe. “I can see that.” 

The truck looked completely different. It was actually clean finally, its pale cream coat reflecting the sunlight perfectly. It featured various pieces of Chloe’s artwork, and a rainbow flag hung off the back. 

Max smirked. “I see you finally set your patriotism on something that actually deserves it.”

“The three housewives of Arcadia Gay.” Chloe smiled. 

Max and Rachel laughed. 

“There’s still room in the truck for your skinny ass, even if it is a tight squeeze.” Rachel smiled. 

“Look who’s talking, Professional Model.” Max smirked. 

“Settle down, you two.” Chloe said. “Get in, we got to go to the stores and we don’t have all day.”

“One of us does.” Rachel smiled. 

“Ah, yes, cause I WANT to overuse my power.” Max replied sarcastically. “To the point where it acts on its own, apparently.” Max murmured. 

Rachel gritted her teeth and said nothing. Chloe simply stared at her truck, her back to Max. 

“We should leave. Both here and this conversation.” Chloe said. 

“Yeah. Agreed.” Rachel nodded. 

Once again, Max squeezed in between Rachel and Chloe as Chloe drove. Whereas the last time it was awkward, this time it felt completely natural. They must have been doing this for quite some time.

“How long have I been living with you guys?” Max asked. 

“Ever since you left Seattle. About a month ago.” Chloe explained. 

“A month? Wowzers.”

“Wow. I didn’t think you still said that.” Chloe smirked. “Guess some things never change, huh?”

“I would hope not.”

“Like I said, better ring your parents. They might be able to update you.” 

“Yeah, definitely will.” 

“Plus, you can tell them what to get you for your birthday.”

“My… birthday?” Max asked slowly. It hadn’t even occurred to her that her birthday was only 3 weeks away. According to everyone except her, she wasn’t even 18 yet. She wondered how Chloe and Rachel felt about that. 

“Passage of time must feel weird, huh?” Rachel asked. 

“Yeah. Technically I’ve lived longer than you guys.” 

“And yet, you’re the minor.” Chloe smirked. “Go figure.”

“Heh. Yeah.” Max felt downcast. 

“Not long now.” Rachel put her hand on Max’s shoulder. “We’re definitely gonna have a lot of fun on your birthday.”

“I sure hope so.” Max leaned back in her seat, looking up at the ceiling light, slumping downwards. “For once, I just wanna chill out and not worry about people dying or the world ending or whatever.” 

“It’s unfair, the level of responsibility that was thrown on you.” Chloe said. “Anyway, enough of that. We’re here.” 

After spending several minutes finding a car park, they got out of the truck and went into the store. 

“What are we even getting, anyway?” Max frowned. 

“I don’t know, boring shit? Milk, bread.” Chloe paused. “Weed.” 

“Yes, Chloe. Let’s go ask for some weed at a shitty convenience store. That’ll go down well.” Rachel said. 

“Knowing you it might actually work.” Chloe replied. 

“I’m not a siren, Chloe.” 

“You may as well be.” Chloe whispered, sneaking a grab at Rachel’s ass.

Rachel jumped. “Chloe! We’re in public!” She whispered harshly. 

“That makes it hotter.” Chloe whispered back. 

“Ugh I’m so gonna murder you.” 

Max laughed. “You two are such dorks.” 

“I see not everything changes.” Came a soft voice that Max didn’t recognise. Chloe and Rachel whipped their heads around straight away. 

“Steph?” Rachel cried. 

“Holy shit.” Chloe said. 

“Yep. The very same.” The girl, apparently called Steph, said.

“Holy shit.” Chloe said again. “Steph fucking Gingrich is a checkout chick. Who’da thought?” 

Steph shrugged. “I’m doing fine, thank you for asking.” She smiled. “How are you guys? This must be the elusive Max.” 

Max blushed. “Yeah. Hi. That’d be me.”

“So tell me Max.” Steph narrowed her eyes. “How on Earth did you get yourself mixed up with these idiots? I take it you keep them in check.”

Max laughed. “Not likely. Chloe and I have been friends since we were babies. Real troublemaker then, real troublemaker now.” 

“As you well know.” Chloe smiled. 

“Seattle must have sucked without her.” Steph said, fiddling with a dragon necklace that she wore around her neck.

“Not being with Chloe did make it harder to enjoy it there. At least she had Rachel.”

Steph looked down. “Yeah. That was good.” 

Chloe leaned down and whispered in Max’s ear. “She had a major crush on Rachel in high school. I swooped in a day before she wanted to make a move not even knowing. Still hasn’t gotten over it, I guess.” 

“She seems nice.” Max whispered back.

“Oh yeah. Real gentle soul. She was nice. It’s good to run into her again.” 

“So how’s Mikey and Drew?” Rachel asked. “It’s been a while since… you know.”

“They’re good.” Steph nodded and leaned on the counter. She parted her bright red hair behind her ear. “It’s kinda wild, actually. They both fucked off down South first chance they could. Ironic considering the name, huh?” She chuckled.

“Really? What for?” Chloe asked. 

“Well, Drew got signed on to a pro-football team in San Francisco, so that’s where they live now. Mikey wants to work at Silicon Valley some day, and considering his grades, he might actually do it.”

Rachel’s jaw dropped. “Silicon Valley?”

“I knew the kid was ambitious, but holy shit.” Chloe breathed. 

“I can’t believe he’s only 16.” Steph shook her head. “I played DnD with him so often it’s easy to forget that he was so young when everything happened.”

“You must miss him.” Chloe said.

Steph sniffed. “Yeah. And Drew as well. After Mikey came out of hospital, Drew kept coming to our sessions. Says he really enjoyed it.” Steph looked sad for a moment. “He still hasn’t forgiven himself over the whole Prescott thing.”

“Prescott can handle it.” Rachel said, but Chloe glared at her and she sighed. “Yeah. I know. He just creeps me out.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen Mikey and Drew since they left Blackwell.” Chloe looked down. “Or you, for that matter.” 

“Times change, I guess. Doing some internships here and there, but this is what I do to survive now.”

“I work at Two Whales’ diner. My mom is my fucking boss. How cool is that?” Chloe said, causing Steph to laugh. 

Max’s attention was drawn elsewhere. Steph seemed cool, but Max felt that she couldn’t really be a part of the conversation. She looked around for the things Chloe said to buy. A man in a thick coat walked into the store with his hood up, despite it being nearly 75 degrees outside. Max stared at him intently. 

_“I shouldn’t be so prejudiced. He’s probably fine.” _Max thought, but she couldn’t help but continue to stare at him. He stood in the corner for a few seconds, eyeing some soft drinks. After a while he turned and headed straight for the counter. Steph wasn’t paying attention. Max saw the man reach into his coat pocket and pull out a gun. “Shit!” Max cried. She held out her right hand and watched as he reversed his way through the store and out the door. She gave it a few more minutes before stopping. _“Fuck. That really hurt.” _Max thought, clutching her head. _“Gotta warn them.”_

“I knew the kid was ambitious, but holy shit.” Chloe breathed. 

Max tapped Chloe on the shoulder desperately.

“Jesus Max alright.” Chloe said. “Give me a second, Steph.”

Steph shrugged.

“Max, I’m trying to talk to an old friend. What’s wrong?” 

“Armed robber. About 5 minutes away.” Max whispered. 

Chloe stared wide-eyed at her. “Holy fuck are you sure?” She whispered back.

“I saw him pull out his gun on Steph. Some guy with a coat and a hood.” 

“Shit. Okay. What should we do?” 

“I’ll hide by the door and try to ambush him. I’ll hit him from behind and then you subdue him. Get Steph to call the cops and wait, I guess.”

“Okay Max. Remember to rewind in case anything goes wrong.”

Max nodded. “I will.” Her mind flash-backed to all the various times she had been forced to save Chloe’s life. She hoped it wasn’t another one of those times. A few minutes later, Max was standing by the door, pretending to look bored. Chloe had resumed her conversation with Rachel and Steph, but kept side-eyeing her. The man walked in, his body shaking. Max didn’t want to make a scene in case he testified against her, so she followed close behind, waiting for him to make a move. Chloe nodded at her as she walked past. The man walked to the drinks just as he did before, staring at them intently. He turned slightly. Instead of going straight to the counter, he walked past Max and headed to the other side of the store. Max was confused. She followed him. He walked away. She followed him. 

And then he punched her. 

“Shit! Fuck!” Max cried, clutching her eye. 

Chloe immediately panicked and ran towards him. “What the fuck!” She growled. The man tried to reach his gun, but Max regained her senses enough to grab him and pull his arm back just long enough for Chloe to close the distance. The man stomped on Max’s toe and elbowed her in the stomach, knocking her backwards. Chloe punched him in the face and he fell over. He didn’t get up.

“Ah! Shit! That really fucking hurt!” Max cried, unsure which part of her body was the most sore. She sucked air heavily through her teeth.

“Shit Max, you alright?” Chloe asked.

“Thanks to you. That could have gone a lot worse.”

“Steph, call the cops. Now.” Rachel commanded.

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Steph said, staring in awe at Max and Chloe as she grabbed her cellphone.

A few minutes later, Officer Berry showed up with another younger-looking cop Max didn’t recognise. Officer Berry took Max’s statement while the younger cop talked to Chloe. She and Rachel looked viscerally uncomfortable with the young cop’s presence. 

“Everything alright, Max?” Officer Berry asked.

“Yeah. Just a little shaken up. Can I talk to my friends?”

“Sure. Chloe was the one that hit him, right? We’re gonna have to take you three down to the station. Nothing major, but Chloe does have a history and while this was most definitely self-defense, we still have to write it up.”

“Uh, of course.” Max gulped. 

“You did the right thing, Max. That was very brave.”

“Thanks, Officer Berry.”

Officer Berry nodded and walked out, motioning to his apprentice. Max walked back over to Chloe.

“Eliot, what the fuck.“ Chloe hissed. “What happened to Mr. ‘fuck the police and burn everything to the ground’?”

“Chloe, I was a kid.” Eliot said. Max felt like that name was familiar.

“In some way, it kinda makes sense. After what you did.” Chloe growled. Eliot looked down and inhaled deeply.

“I’m truly sorry about that. I didn’t know what situation you were in, and I was a selfish and envious prick.”

“You put Chloe’s life, my life, and my mother’s life in danger.” Rachel said. 

“Yes, I know.” Eliot nodded and closed his eyes. “I’m really sorry. After I got kicked out of Blackwell, I gave myself some time to think about what I did and absolve it. Went to an army training camp for a couple years, then came back and trained to be a police officer.”

“But why? So you can be more controlling? That’s all it is. The Eliot I hung out with knew that.”

“No! So I can be a positive force for Arcadia! I want to help people, in a way that doesn’t hurt them.”

Rachel scoffed. “Right, so you became a cop. Firefighters, EMTs, paramedics - fuck those guys, right?”

“No! I-” Eliot sighed. “Forget it. I have to go. It was nice seeing you two again.” 

“Goodbye, Eliot.” Chloe said indignantly. 

“Shit, who was that guy?” Max said after he left. 

“Just some asshole from Blackwell. The guy who was obsessed with me, remember?”

“Oh my God, that was him?” Max shuddered. 

“‘Absolve’. What a pretentious dickhead.” Rachel said. 

“Probably wrote it in one of his famous poems.” Chloe sighed.

“Ew.” Rachel pulled a face. “Don’t remind me.”

“Don’t get me wrong, they were well done, but just… eugh.”

“What do you mean?” Max asked.

“How well do you get on with Warren? Or did. Will do. Whatever.”

“I mean, he was pretty cool, I guess.”

“Clearly super into you, that’s for sure.”

Max slapped her forehead. “I know.” She sighed. “So, he was like that?”

“Eliot was a lot more subtle, but if anything that made it creepier. He got obsessive.” Chloe shuddered. She was clearly still shaken over seeing him again. 

“Let’s get our things and leave.” Max said. 

“Good idea, Max.” Rachel sighed. “Talk to Steph. We’ll get the things.”

Max smiled. “Sure.” She walked up to Steph, feeling back to her normal shy and awkward self. “Hi.”

“You’re sweating pinballs, Max.” Steph giggled. Max was immediately reminded of Well’s first interrogation and shuddered. “Good on you for taking that guy out. I couldn’t imagine what would have happened if you hadn’t stepped in.”

“That’s why they call me Supermax.” Max shrugged.

“Do they?” Steph asked with a weird smirk on her face.

“Only Chloe.” Max giggled. 

“Seems like all the cute ones are all over Chloe.” Steph said. Max turned to hide her blush and Steph winked. 

“Yep. Can’t keep either of these two off me.” Chloe said, placing a bag of food on top of the checkout. 

“Wow Chloe, you’re so cool and sexy, please have sex with me.” Steph said sarcastically. 

“The processing for applicants to the polycule take several months, I’m afraid. You’ll just have to wait in line.” 

“I’m so excited.” Steph replied as she scanned the last couple items. 

Everyone laughed. 

Rachel bagged the items before handing it to Chloe.

“Ah yes, at the end of the day, Rachel, you still need someone big and strong to carry all the stuff.” Chloe mocked. 

Rachel glared at her and grabbed the bag back off her. “It’s not even heavy.” She scoffed.

“You guys are so cute.” Steph said.

“We’re like an old married couple.” Rachel said. “Except there’s three of us, four if you want to account for Chloe’s ego.”

“Oh, right, yeah. Cause I spend half an hour looking at myself in the mirror every morning.” Chloe fired back. 

“I would too if I had Rachel’s figure.” Max said. 

“Ouch, Max.” Chloe pretended to look hurt. 

“Oh fuck off. You know you’re hot.”

“Like I said, twice the ego.” Rachel added.

“Woah! Suddenly everyone is on me! As my stepdad would say, I know when I’m outflanked.”

“Oh we’ll be on you alright.” Rachel whispered, causing Chloe and Max to laugh.

“Ew ew ew!” Steph pulled a face. “Get this disgusting shit out of my store!” She shooed away the trio with her hands.

“It was really nice seeing you again, Steph. I’ve missed you.”

“Likewise. We should all meet up sometime.” 

Chloe and Rachel looked at each other.

“Sounds like a plan.” Rachel smiled. “We’ll text you.”

Max waved goodbye and followed Chloe and Rachel outside, where it was slowly starting to rain. “So, step- _ dad _ , huh?”

“Yes? I have a stepdad, Max. How long were you were out for?” Chloe looked confused. 

“No, I just- I’m used to you calling him step-douche.”

“I haven’t called him that in ages.” Chloe sighed. “He’s a much better person now. That therapy did him well. And me. We needed it.” Chloe sighed and turned to Rachel. “No more mock-therapy sessions in the back of old trucks for us, eh Rachel?”

Rachel laughed. “Nope. This time you get the real deal.” 

“Ha! Just meds for now, thanks.” Chloe smiled. “Unless something else goes to shit.” Chloe side-eyed Max, who shuddered and rubbed her arm. 

  
“I’m… not sure how much has been changed. It does seem odd that I’ve been meeting so many people from your time at Blackwell, especially today. First Steph then Eliot? I never even MET them originally.” 

“Really? They must have like, jumped ship or something as soon as they left Blackwell.” Chloe frowned. 

“Well, now we know where Eliot went.”

“But did he? In your weird timeline? How different could those two realities be?” Chloe asked.

“My head still hurts from taking that fucker down. I don’t want to think quantum physics right now.” 

“Fair point.”

“Urgh!” Max cried, clutching her head. “Shit! Ah fuck! Case in point- oof!” Max stopped walking for a few seconds so the headache could pass. 

“Woah! You good, girl?” Rachel asked. 

“Yeah. I’m fine now. Let’s keep going- ah shit!” Her headache flared up again, this time much worse. She looked up to see a car careening around the corner on the road ahead of them, travelling far too fast.

Right as Victoria Chase was crossing the road.

“FUCK! VICTORIA!” Max screamed.

Victoria paid no attention. Max saw she was wearing headphones. She couldn’t hear a thing. Max, in her pained state, knew there was only one thing to do.

But fuck it was gonna hurt. 

With her right hand out, she charged towards Victoria as fast as she could, rewinding time as she went. She grabbed Victoria and threw her onto the footpath, jumping out of the way before the car flattened her. 

“Hey! What the fuck!” Victoria cried as she sprawled onto the concrete. She looked up to see the car drive straight between herself and the person who threw her. “What…? Holy shit…” 

As the car flew past, with Officer Berry and Eliot in tow, Max ran towards Victoria, still on the ground.

“Holy shit, are you okay?” Max cried. Much like when she first arrived at Blackwell dorm, her emotions made it difficult for her not to instinctively say Victoria.

“I… I don’t know…” Victoria spoke slowly, still processing what happened. “What was that car doing!? I could have died!” She looked up at Max. “You… you saved my life.”

“At the cost of your cellphone screen, apparently.” Max giggled, trying to lift the awkwardness.

Victoria looked down, and sure enough, her phone was out of her pocket, the screen completely shattered. “Fucking fuck me!” She shook her head. “Considering what just happened, and the number of bruises that are probably on my hips and legs right now, that’s the least of my worries.”

“Max holy fuck!” Chloe and Rachel came running over. “What happened? You just vanished. You didn’t use-” Chloe stopped when she saw Victoria. “Oh. I see.”

“Chloe Price? Rachel Amber?” Victoria shook her head. “I should have known. Trouble does seem to follow you.” She looked at Max in panic. “Not that I’m blaming you for what happened, I just-”

“Once a bitch, always a bitch?” Rachel replied smugly.

Victoria laughed. “Normally I’d be insulted, but I literally do not have the energy to be offended right now.” She moved her leg and winced. Max helped her get off the ground and on her feet. 

“So, your name is Max, I take it?” Victoria asked, pocketing her now-useless phone.

“Yes, I’m… Chloe and Rachel’s friend.”

“I, uh, I see.” Victoria cleared her throat. “Anyway, I should get going. Thanks for… saving my life. Will I see you around?”

“If you’re going to Blackwell tomorrow, then yes.”

“Oh! Well!” Victoria laughed. “Exciting times to be had, I’m sure.” She shook head. “How the hell am I gonna explain this to Mom and Dad? Good fucking lord.” She muttered as she walked off.

“Well that was…. I don’t even know what to say.” Chloe said, confused.

“Your head must be burning.” Rachel said.

“Well now that you mention it….” Max rubbed her forehead. They approached the truck and climbed in.

“Let’s get the hell out of here.” Chloe frowned, and drove off. 


	21. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max realises how much of her life she has missed. Chloe and Rachel decide to help her unwind, but Max's memories never rest easy.

When Max wasn’t pacing around the apartment, she was sitting on various bits of furniture, bouncing her leg nervously. She still couldn’t quite get over what happened earlier that day. Chloe and Rachel were giving her space, but did occasionally keep glancing at her in concern. At one point, Rachel brought over Max a cup of tea, saying nothing. Max simply thanked her and said nothing else back. After a while, Max figured the best way to help would be to ring her parents.  _ “They deserve to know what’s going on.”  _ She sighed. She pulled out her cellphone and rang her dad. She didn’t want her mom to freak out, as she often did. Her dad was generally a lot calmer and more methodical about these situations. 

“Hey dad.” Max said after her dad answered.

“Hi honey!” Ryan Caulfield’s voice rang out through the phone. He sounded cheerful, and that made Max feel guilty. “How are you doing?”

“I’m… alright.” Max lied. “How are you?”

“I’m pretty good! I’ve had the house to myself this weekend so I just sat around watching TV.” He paused. “You didn’t see it but I winked.”

Max giggled. She forgot how goofy her dad could be sometimes. She suddenly realised how much she missed her parents. “Where’s Mom?”

“She’s up babysitting two boys about half an hour’s drive away. I thought it best not to bother her cause apparently they’re a handful.”

“That’s nice.”

“Yeah she rang me last night after the boys went to sleep. She seemed quite upset. The younger boy was very sweet, although a little loud. The older boy was a lot more reserved, but he tended to yell and talk back a lot. He gets upset quite easily, apparently.” Ryan coughed. “But then I don’t blame him. His mother ran out on them shortly after his brother was born, and it has taken quite a toll on him.”

“Shit. That’s awful.”

“Keeps mumbling about wanting to leave ‘Shithole Lame Avenue.’ His words, not mine, and certainly not your mothers.” 

Max laughed. “Well, I’m glad those boys will definitely have a nice mother figure, even for only one weekend.”

“Me too, Max. Me too.” He hesitated. “So uh, how’s it being back in the Old Bay?”

“A little too exciting, apparently.” Max sighed.

“Shit, exciting? In Arcadia Bay?” Ryan laughed. “Surely you must tell me.”

“Well, I’m living with Chloe and Rachel, as you well know. And that’s been a lot of fun.” Max gulped, realising today was her only memory of it. 

“Of course it has.” Ryan laughed. “How are they?”

“They’re good.” Max nodded. “Chloe’s got a job at the diner, and she’s doing an internship at the local mechanics on the side.”

“Shit, Chloe Price the gearhead. Who’da thought?” 

“She wants to get into art, too.” Max laughed. “Says she got it from me.”

“Oh God I don’t think I could handle  _ two  _ esteemed artists in my family.”

Max smiled. She found it so touching that Ryan saw Chloe as his own family. “Rachel wants to be a model, but she hasn’t found a decent photographer yet. ‘Nothing can beat your photos’, she said to me.” 

“What about the guy from Blackwell? Your teacher? Jefferson, I think his name is.”

Max’s heart thumped in her chest and she gulped. “Uh, I think she tried, but he’s quite busy with teaching as well as other projects. I think she’s just freelancing until she can afford a professional photographer.”

“Well, wish her luck for me, alright?”

“Will do.”

“I’m glad you called, Max. It’s nice to hear from you again.”

“Me too, Dad. I love you.”

“I love you too, honey.”

“Dad, wait! Don’t hang up yet.”

“I wasn’t going to.” Ryan laughed. “But go on.”

“Something… bizarre happened today. I’m still quite shaken up about it.”

“Figured there’d be something.” Ryan coughed. “Sorry. That was mean. Please, tell me what happened.”

Max exhaled deeply. “Okay. So Chloe, Rachel, and I all went to this convenience store today to buy some things, and I spotted an armed robber walking in.”

“An armed- Holy shit, Max. Are you okay?” Ryan’s voice changed, and Max could tell he immediately switched to Protective Dad mode.

“I’m fine, no-one was hurt. Chloe and I beat his ass down and called the cops.”

“Max, I… that was very brave.” Ryan sniffed. “I’m so proud of you.”   
  


“But that’s not even the end of it. After we left, I saw a car speeding around this corner, headed straight for this girl. I managed to push her out of the way in time. Turns out she goes to Blackwell and knew Chloe and Rachel.”

“My Supermax! Saving the day.” Ryan called out. Max could practically hear the beam spread across his face. “I can’t believe it. You saved the lives of so many people today, you know that?”

“I know, thanks Dad. I’m just… really scared. That’s a lot to go through, and I needed to talk to someone about it. Other than Chloe and Rachel, who are also pretty shaken up too.”

“God, I can imagine. Well, thank you for telling me this honey. Your Mom and I…” He hesitated. “We’ve felt like... in these past few years… you haven’t been very communicative. It’s very nice to feel like you trust us again.”

Max gulped. She knew that during time jumps, especially through photos, she would seem particularly dazed to everyone else, but this made her feel awful. “Of course, Dad. That will never change.”

“I sure do hope so. You should get some rest, honey. You’ve had a very intense day today, and you’re gonna have a very intense day tomorrow.”

“No doubt.” Max gritted her teeth.

“Max?”

“Yeah?”   
  


“Do you remember? Sometime last year? When you broke your arm?”

Max instinctively rubbed her arms. “Not… really?”

“Really? Would have thought you did. Anyway, you were sledding down the hill near our house with your friend Joey.”

“Oh! Yeah! Ouch. That really hurt.” Max hoped her feign was convincing.

“Ha! It was funny. You came home and said your arm was kinda sore. You had no idea it was broken.”

“God, I do remember the hospital, but that’s about it.”

“Joey was great. She really helped you out.”

“Y-Yeah! She came to visit a couple times I think. Brought me flowers.” Max guessed.

“You wanted to throw them away!” Ryan laughed.

“No I did not!” Max replied. “I just… would have preferred chocolates.” She mumbled.

“Let’s face it, who wouldn’t?”

“How...” Max gulped. “How is Joey?”

“You haven’t talked to her?”

“Not since I left, no.”

“Jeez Max, and after you were on at us about Chloe.”

“Chloe’s different.”

“Is she?”

Max said nothing. Max pondered for a moment. Keeping her dad on speaker, she used her phone to look at her social media, and from there she found Joey’s profile. Her profile picture was a selfie of her and Max, clearly taken with Max’s polaroid. She was tall and had long red hair. Her smile was twice as wide as Max’s. Max immediately felt guilty. They must have been good friends - and Max couldn’t even remember her. Max continued to scroll through her photos, noticing the massive change in both her looks and confidence over time.

“Anyway, didn’t mean to make you feel guilty. She’s doing fine. I ran into her the other day, She’s changed so much. Those hormones definitely did their magic.”

“That they did. She looks like a totally different person.” 

“She’s grown into a beautiful young woman. Just like you have.”

Max shed a tear. “Thanks Dad. But why did you bring that up?”

“It’s just that… during that time… you hardly talked to us. It seemed like you couldn’t wait to get out of Seattle. I wanted to remind me of what you had here.”

Max started crying. “I miss you guys so much. I haven’t been the greatest daughter and it’s not fair that-”

“Max, stop.” Ryan said. “We miss you too. You’ve been the best daughter a father could ask for. You’ve also been a great friend. To all your friends in Seattle, and to all your friends in Arcadia Bay. Joey misses you terribly, as did Chloe while you were with us in Seattle..”

“I promise I’ll write to her.”

“Even a simple text would do.” 

_ “You were able to wait 5 years without even a simple text.”  _ Chloe’s voice rang through Max’s mind. That memory seemed it like it happened a thousand years ago. 

“Yes.” Max said after a brief hesitation. “Of course. That’s a good idea.”

“I’ll talk to you later. Do get some sleep, alright? I love you, sweetheart.”

“I will get some rest, Dad. And I love you too. Goodbye.”

“Bye, Max.” He hung up.

Max sighed and scrolled through her contacts, trying to see if she could find Joey.

“How is he?” Chloe asked, bringing another cup of tea, that Max gratefully took.

“He’s doing well.” Max nodded. “Mom’s babysitting some ‘troubled boys’, apparently.”

“Since when are boys not trouble?” Chloe smirked. 

Max laughed. “How’s Rachel?”

“She’s having a nap. Or a meltdown in her room. Either way, not gonna disturb her.”

“And either way, I can’t blame her.”

Chloe looked at Max for a brief moment before speaking. “And… how are you doing?”

“Better.” Max nodded. “Still quite shaken up, but calling my dad certainly did help.”

Chloe looked sad for a second, then shook her head. “That’s good, at least. And your dad’s right. You should rest.”

“It was weird, he was telling me about this friend I had in Seattle.”

“Oh yeah?” Chloe sat on the couch next to Max. 

  
“I feel so awful, I don’t even know who she is. I have no memory of her. But she looks super cool, someone I definitely would have gotten along with. But I don’t know her!” Max sobbed and put her head in her hands.

“That was out of your control.” Chloe said soothingly, putting her arm around Max’s shoulder. “There’s no way of knowing your power would send you forward three years in time.”

“I know, but... “ Max trailed off. “I have to talk to her at some point, like I did for you. But what do I say?”

“Just… be super vague.” Chloe said. “I know that’s not super helpful, but this is a unique situation.” 

“Putting it mildly.” Max mumbled. 

“Give her a call. Right now.” Chloe said. “The words will come to you, I know they will.” Chloe looked up at the ceiling. “Heh, if worse comes to worst, you can always rewind, right?”

“I think we’ve both had enough of that for today.”

“You’re not kidding. Anyway, I’m gonna go see what Rachel’s doing. You make that call.”

“Chloe, can-” She stopped. 

“Yes, Max?”

“Can you stay here, just for a bit?”

“Of course.” Chloe smiled. “Tell you what, I’ll get a blanket from my room, and we can sit and watch Blade Runner. After you make that phone call.”

“Surefire way to get me to go sleep, right?” Max chuckled. “That would be wonderful.”

Max could hear Chloe whispering to Rachel, and a few minutes they both came in with blankets. Rachel was wearing a loose fitting t-shirt and underwear. Clearly she had been napping.

“How you doing, Rach?”

“Better than you, Supermax.” Rachel grimaced. “We’ve all had a rough day. A movie would be nice.”

“Blade Runner?” Chloe smiled.

“Oh yes! Absolutely! We haven’t watched that movie in ages.”

“I thought you didn’t like it.”   
  


“Well, I didn’t before I met you.”

Chloe turned away, failing to hide her flushed cheeks. Rachel giggled. 

“I gotta make a phone call first.” Max said. 

“Yes! You should. Do it. Now.” Chloe ordered.

“Sure thing, mom.” Max rolled her eyes. She found Joey’s number and called it.

“Max!” A loud and cheery voice rang through the phone, causing Max to recoil slightly. 

“Hey, Joey.” Max mumbled. “How are you doing?”

“Woah, so formal!” Joey laughed. Her voice was odd. Quite sharp and heavily accented.”

“Shut up!” Max giggled. “Actually don’t. Your voice sounds wonderful!”

Chloe and Rachel started making “ooh!” noises in the background and Max shushed them.

“I know right? I’m so happy about it! I’ve been working on it for a couple months now, and I think it’s finally starting to improve.”

“Certainly different to how I remember it.” Max tried her best to sound nice.

“Ugh, don’t remind me about that.” 

“Sorry.”

“Max, you apologise too much. Glad to see not everything changes.”

  
“Sor-” Max stopped herself. “You almost got me!”

“Oh, dang it!” Joey laughed. “It’s really good to hear from you again, Max. I was a bit worried when you hadn’t said anything for a month.”

“Y-yeah, I am sorry about that.” Max sighed. “It’s been hella hectic lately. Especially today.”

“Hella? You still say that? Damn girl it’s not 2009 anymore!”

“Shut up! I like saying hella. You know why.” Max said slyly.

“Oh shit you’re living with her now, aren’t you?”

“Hella yeah.” Max smirked.

“Ew. Girl, you’re gonna make me projectile VOMIT. Anyway, how’s it living with  _ two fucking girlfriends?  _ You’re hogging all the good stuff, Caulfield.”

Max giggled. “You sound like Chloe.”

“Isn’t that why we’re friends?” Joey said smugly. “Uh Joey you’re just like Chloe! So tall and sexy with great hair~” She did a poor imitation of Max’s voice. 

“Oh, grow up.”

“If I did, you wouldn’t be able to reach the top of my head, shorty.”

“What about you?”

“God I don’t even want to THINK about dating just yet.” Joey huffed. “It ended badly.”

“Oh shit, really?” Max asked.

“Yeah. She totally blew me off, we said nasty shit to each other, and now she’s god knows where. Anyway. Enough sad shit. You said your day was hectic, so please tell.”

“Well, I managed to stop both an armed robbery and a hit and run, only a few minutes apart from each other.”

“Jesus Christ, Max!” Joey cried. “When you said ‘hectic’, I thought meant like, homework or some shit.”

“Well, you know me, haha.” Max said. “Living life on the edge.”

  
“Okay, Supermax.” Joey said dryly. “Shit, did your head hurt?”

_ “So she does know…”  _ Max thought.  _ “Hmm.” _

“Yeah, my nose bled too. Badly. Mostly because the robber punched me in the face, but also, you know.”   
  


“Believe me, I do.” Joey sighed. “You were devastated that you couldn’t rewind breaking your fucking right arm cause you couldn’t move it.”

“Shit, yeah.” Max said. “Guess I gotta get better at predicting shit, huh?”

“Just… don’t overexert yourself. Get some rest. I have to go anyway.”

“Funny, both Chloe and my dad said the same.”

“Well they are smart people, just like me.” Joey giggled. “Talk to you later, Max.”

“Good to hear from you, again. Bye Joey.” Max said before she hung up. She sighed and leaned back on the couch. Chloe and Rachel sat down on either side of her, with blankets and cups of hot chocolate. 

“There you go, Max!” Chloe said as she handed Max a hot chocolate. “I told you the words would come to you.”

“It’s weird, I felt like I’d known her forever, but I don’t know anything about her.”

“I looked her up. Looks hella cute. And so do you in that photo.” 

“She reminds me a lot of you, actually.”

“Then I’m surprised you didn’t fall helplessly in love with her.” 

“I probably did.” Max smirked. 

“Oh no I’m soooo jealous!” Chloe said sarcastically, waving her hands in front of her.

“Can we watch the movie now? I would like to go back to sleep.” Rachel yawned. 

“Oh shut up.” Chloe said, but turned on the TV and started the movie.

“Man your TV is ancient.” Rachel said. 

  
“David wanted a new one, so Joyce said I could have the old one. This thing is like, older than me.”

“Sure looks it.”

“Ok, rich girl.” 

Rachel pouted and sipped her hot chocolate. “Let’s just watch the movie.” She grumbled.

“Old married couple over here.” Max said slyly.

“Being in a relationship with us means you’re also a part of this, tiny.” Chloe smirked.

“Hey! I’m not that short.” Max huffed.

“Anyway. That’s enough bullying my wonderful girlfriends for one afternoon. Let’s enjoy the movie.”

Not ten minutes into the movie, all three were asleep, with Chloe and Rachel’s heads resting on Max’s shoulders. 

*

_ WOOSH! CRACK! BOOM!  _

_ “I could frame any one of you in a dark corner, and capture you in a moment of desperation.” _

_ “Let’s Go Ape!” _

_ “Why don’t you go fuck your selfie?” _

_ “What are you hiding there, girlie?” _

_ “Oh boo hoo, I’m sorry you’re a viral slut. I’m sure she had fun.” _

_ “Max, I’m in a nightmare and I can’t wake up. Unless I put myself to sleep.” _

_ “Just another person who shits all over me!” _

_ “Rachel in the Dark Room, Rachel in the Dark room… over and over.” _

_ “Aha! You can’t hide from me forever!” _

_ “All you have to do is crank up the IV to eleven.” _

_ “You? YOU’RE ALL DEAD!”  _

_ “WHAT KIND OF WORLD DOES THIS!? WHO DOES THIS!?” _

_ “Nathan has been creeping me out lately. He’s not here and I haven’t seen him.”  _

_ “STUPID BITCH! You just don’t get it, do you?” _

_ WOOSH! CRACK! BOOM!  _

“No!” Max cried. “Why is this happening? Why am I reliving all these memories?” She could feel the wind and rain pelting at her face. She wanted to scream. 

But the voices still wouldn’t stop.

_ “Armed robber kills three people in convenience store…” _

_ “Teenage woman killed in hit and run…” _

_ “Prescott son commits suicide…” _

_ “Professional photographer and teacher Mark Jefferson arrested for possession of illicit drugs…” _

_ “Blackwell photography students reported missing…” _

_ “Amber…” _

_ “Price…”  _

_ “Caulfield…” _

_ “ _ It’s not time yet.”

*

“AAAAAHHHHHHH!” Max screamed as she woke up, her head colliding with Chloe and Rachel’s as she was jolted upwards.

“Ow, fuck!” Chloe and Rachel said in tandem.

Max was sweating and breathing heavily. “Holy shit. That was awful, I-” She leaned back and took a deep breath. “Chloe, Rachel…”

“Shit.” Chloe mumbled as she paused the movie.

“We’re here, Max. What happened?” Rachel asked.

“I just had the most awful nightmare.” Max explained. “I was reliving all of these awful memories from that stupid fucking week, and then there were all these news headlines of shit I used my power to stop happening…” Max felt her head hurt, and blood started streaming from her nose. 

“Max, you’re not just screwing around with time.” Chloe said. “I can’t expect you to stop, but…”

“You have to be careful, Max.” Rachel placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “We all do.”

Max nodded. “I know. There’s just so much shit happening, and Jefferson is still a threat.”

“We have tomorrow, right?” Chloe asked.

Max shook her head. “That’s what the dream was telling me- tomorrow is too early.”

“So, when? What do we do?” Rachel asked.

“We just… wait. I guess.” Max shrugged. “Make sure people at Blackwell stay away from him, somehow. I don’t think he’ll try anything until he’s established a good rapport with his class and fellow staff.”

“All of the teachers love him, though. Except David, obviously.”

“‘Never trust a man with a goatee.’” Max laughed. “David’s words.”

“Oh yeah, he did say that about him.” Chloe chuckled. “So, how do we deal with Nathan?”

“Avoid him, for starters. Keep an eye on him from a distance.” Max explained. “Rachel, when we need him, you’ll have to be the one to collect him. He’s more likely to trust you than us.”

Rachel nodded. 

“I can probably get closer to Victoria, because of what happened today. And I will definitely stay close to Kate Marsh. We can’t let that poor girl suffer the way she did in my timeline.”

“No way in hell.” Chloe shook her head.

“And when we’re ready, we’ll corner Jefferson. He’ll be right where we need him to be.” 

“I hope that bastard pays for what he did.”

“Oh he will.” Max looked up at the ceiling. “Hear that, Jefferson? When the time comes, we’ll be coming for you.” 

  
  



	22. Surprise Assignment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max’s first lesson with Jefferson! Jefferson surprises Max with an assignment that she hadn’t done originally, and she decides to use it to her advantage

Max took one last search through her bag to make sure she still had the photo. “Phew. Thank God.” She breathed out loud. She knew not completing the assignment didn’t really matter considering the person that was her teacher and the fact that it was just another stupid selfie, but she felt this was more about making an impression on her classmates. 

After all, she needed to be close to them. 

She stepped into the art classroom. It was odd, a still-innocent part within her wanted to jump for joy - she was living out her dream after all - but the horrors that started and ended in that classroom heavily trumped that small feeling. It made her feel sick. The sun shone brightly through the classroom window, almost blinding Max. At least it was warm. Max’s hoodie was haphazardly slung over her shoulder, and she suddenly felt very subconscious about her pasty arms. She looked around, hoping to find a familiar face to start a conversation with so she didn’t have to talk to Jefferson, who at this stage was standing at his desk, talking to none other than Victoria Chase. Max rolled her eyes. Eventually, Max found Kate Marsh, sitting in her usual spot in the back corner. There was a spare chair at the same table that Max took. No more sitting by herself at the centre-back of the classroom. 

“Hi.” Max smiled sweetly. 

“Oh! Hello.” Kate looked startled briefly, as if Max had interrupted her daydream. 

“You ok?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Sorry, just a little out of it, I guess.”

“Don’t apologise.” Max smiled. “I’m probably worse than you at that.” Max frowned. _ “As Jefferson loves to remind me.” _Max thought to herself. 

Kate giggled. “You’re funny. My name’s Kate, by the way.”

“Max. Short for Maxine, but I hate that name.” Max extended her hand.

“Max it is then.” Kate smiled and shook Max’s hand. Max sat down in the chair next to Kate, right next to the computer. Max briefly wondered if any of Jefferson’s photos were stored there and shuddered. 

“Did you bring a photo for the assignment?” Max asked. 

“Yes. It’s simple, really.” Kate shrugged. 

“Well I hardly think this is going to be graded.” Max said. “I’m fairly sure this was just a cool icebreaker, to get to know everyone through photos.”

Kate nodded. “It’s very clever, actually. Most icebreaker games are so tedious, but this one is actually relevant to what we’re doing. Mr. Jefferson seems like a smart person.”

“Yes, that he does.” Max nodded, trying her best to hide her scowl. Max took her photo of her bag and rested it on her desk. _ “A polaroid selfie, how on brand.” _Max thought. Jefferson sent out an email to all his students the weekend before, tasking them to take/find a photo of something that’s important to them, or shows who they are as a person. Obviously they had to have taken it themselves, so that people could critique the photos as they were passed around. “Positive criticism only at this stage please.” Jefferson had said. Max rolled her eyes. She had chosen her photo carefully - a way to subtly say “Fuck you!” to Jefferson. Max was in the centre, with Chloe and Rachel on either side. It was hard for Max’s short arms to get them all in frame, but Max managed, and she felt like it came out great, which Max realised was a rare feeling for her. Maybe it was the way Rachel and Chloe look so happy and full of life. Max escaped from a timeline where Jefferson had killed them both, and now Max was about to present a photo of them to him. It was petty revenge, but it was something. Max grinned. Victoria was moving to her seat in the back left corner of the classroom, so Max raised her head, ready to hear whatever bullshit tirade Jefferson was about to go on. 

“Sorry we’re late!” Came a rushed voice from the door as Stella and Hayden rushed in. 

“You’re not late at all.” Jefferson smiled. “I was only just about to start.”

Stella smiled and nodded a thanks, and they sat down at the front left table. 

“Ok! Assuming that’s everyone, welcome! As you probably already know, my name is Mr. Jefferson, and I will be guiding you through your photography course for the next one or two years. I say guiding because teaching implies you don’t already know your stuff, which you do, otherwise you wouldn’t be here. Isn’t that right?”

Several nervous giggles rose from different areas of the classroom. 

Jefferson nodded. “I’m also only here to help _ you _kickstart your own career. I’m not gonna do it for you, only you can do it.” 

Max felt Jefferson’s eyes on her as he spoke. She didn’t dare look, that would grant him too much satisfaction for Max to bear. 

“Assuming you got my email,” Jefferson continued. “I tasked you to bring a photo to class that speaks to everyone about who you are, or represents what is most important to you. How you interpreted that was up to you, and I’m looking forward to seeing what you have to show. I’ll start to give an example.” He got up off from Daniel’s desk and walked to the front of the classroom. 

Max wondered why he insisted on having his back to almost half the class. Did he like the idea of everyone having his eyes on him from all angles? Was he just insistent on being closer to Kate, Victoria, Taylor, and herself? Max shuddered. There were only two boys in the classroom, and it was obvious that Jefferson wasn’t interested in Stella and Alyssa, so him choosing to face the girls at the back instead made Max’s skin crawl. _ “If only I analysed him as much in the original timeline as I am now. I wouldn’t have had to live through all that bullshit.” _ Max thought. She shook her head. _ “That was out of my control.” _She breathed.

“Hello! My name is Mark Jefferson, I’m 38 years old - yes, I know I’m old - and this is a photo of what is most important to me, and I’d like to share it with you guys.” he reached underneath his desk and pulled out a large framed photo. “This is of my class from last year. They represent the legacy I pursue at Blackwell. Guiding students to become the artists they aspire to be.”

Max swore she saw Rachel Amber in the photo. 

“I hope to recreate this photo with you guys at the end of class, so you can use that as inspiration to further your own legacy.”

“Wow, arrogant much?” Max whispered to Kate, who just shushed her. Max remembered that not everyone at this stage knew what Mark Jefferson was up to. Kate was respecting Jefferson as he spoke, as she always tended to do when others were talking. 

How painfully naive. 

“I wouldn’t be an esteemed photographer if I didn’t believe in myself, for those of you who may find my manner… self-absorbed.” Jefferson said. He didn’t point fingers, but he may as well have gotten Max to stand up and repeat what she said. “I’ll pass this photo around so you can have a good look at it.” He handed the photo to Alyssa, who simply nodded and handed it to Daniel. Daniel spent about a minute looking at it before passing it to Stella. The photo made its rounds around the class, each taking only a few seconds before passing it to the next person. 

_ “Daniel spent the longest looking at it. Huh.” _Max thought. She looked over at Victoria, who had placed the photo on her table, resuming her conversation with Taylor about whatever bullshit they tended to talk about. Kate sighed and got up, walking over to Victoria’s table and picking up the photo. Victoria looked at her and giggled. Kate just shook her head. 

“This is a really nice photo. They all look so happy and friendly.” Kate smiled. She handed the photo to Max, holding it so they could both see. 

“That’s Rachel Amber.” Max smiled. Rachel was in the centre, perfectly framed by her less-visually appealing classmates.

“She’s very pretty.” Kate said. “How do you know her?”

Max slid her polaroid across the table to Kate. 

“Oh! Well that explains it.” Kate laughed. “You three must all be good friends.”

“That’s one way to put it.” Max replied. “We’re living together at the moment. The girl with the blue hair is Chloe. We’ve been best friends since we were kids. I moved to Seattle about 5 years ago. Chloe felt lonely. Luckily Rachel came along. Pretty much saved her life.”

“Wow. That got… dark.” Kate’s smile dropped briefly.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to say it like that.” Max reassured her. “When Chloe told me about Rachel, she was super excited. I knew I couldn’t wait to come back to Arcadia Bay. You can imagine how excited I was when I found out I got into Blackwell.”

“Dream come true.”

“Yes.” Max said. “Yes it was. Can I?”

“Sure.” Kate said, handing her the photo. Max took a good hard look at it.

_ “It is an incredible photo.” _ Max sighed inwardly. _ “Rachel looks happy here. Hayden’s here too, and so is Dana. Few other people I can’t recognise, but they all look like family.” _ Max looked at Rachel again. _ “Can’t wait for that to become a reality.” _Max stood up and walked over to Jefferson’s desk, placing the photo down. She went back to her seat without looking at him. 

“Wonderful.” Jefferson beamed. “Now, who would like to present their photo first?”

No-one dared make eye contact. 

  
  


“Anyone at all?” Jefferson asked again. “Alright, looks like I’ll have to choo-”

“I’ll go first!” Victoria thrust her hand into the air. 

_ “Now there’s a surprise.” _Max thought sarcastically. 

“Perfect. Nice to see some enthusiasm. Especially from someone with as strong a name as yours.”

Victoria blushed and looked down at the ground. Max rolled her eyes. Victoria skipped up to the front, a small framed photo in her hand. “Ahem.” She cleared her throat. “My name is Victoria Chase. I’ve been a Blackwell student since I was a freshman, and I’ve always wanted to do photography. As soon as I saw the email, I knew exactly which photo I wanted to use.” She turned her photo towards the class, which featured a large crowd in front of an ornate fireplace. “This is my whole family all together for the winter holiday season, which is a very rare occasion for us. One of the few times Chanukah coincided with Christmas.”

“That must have been very special, I’m sure.” Jefferson smiled.

“It was, Mr. Jefferson. This was taken a few years ago, back when I was first properly getting into photography. So my Dad and his side of the family are on the right, holding the jewish candles, and my Mom and her side of the family are on the left, holding the crosses. Even though there are a lot of differences between each side of my family, we love each other all the same. Family has always been truly important to me, and I hope that by the end of this year, I can call all of you my family too.” Victoria smiled sweetly. Max wanted to punch her. Max sighed. She so badly wanted to hate Victoria, but she knew how she absolved and how frightened she was when Mark Jefferson kidnapped her. Victoria seemed like she was finished, so Max joined the others in applauding. She handed the photo to Mr. Jefferson and he passed it to Alyssa. It made the rounds just like last time, except this time Taylor walked over and handed it to Kate. Kate smiled. 

“This is a really nice photo, Victoria.” Kate called over to Victoria.

“What? Oh.” Victoria was clearly caught off guard. “Thank you, uh…”

“Kate.”

“Kate. Thank you.” Victoria smiled. 

Kate turned to Max. “Take a lot at this, Max. Isn’t it magnificent? Two families of two entirely different religious backgrounds coming together in harmony! It makes me feel so blessed. And they’re framed so well too! Victoria must have spent ages to get them all to fit.”

“She certainly does have a big family.” Max breathed as Kate handed her the photo. _ “My God, Kate’s right. Victoria has a good eye. And they all look so happy.” _

“10 cousins.” Victoria said, interrupting Max’s thoughts. “3 from my mom’s side and 7 from my dad’s.”

“Wow.” Max breathed. “This is a very impressive photo, Victoria. For a lot of reasons. Thank you for showing it to us.”

“Thank you, Max. That means a lot.” Victoria nodded. She looked down at her lap, a sad look in her eyes. Max was reminded of when she got Victoria covered in paint. It was the same, sad, insecure look that Max was all too familiar with. 

_ “Poor Victoria.” _Max thought. 

“I guess I’ll go next.” Kate said. 

“Ok. Come on up.” Jefferson smiled. Kate stood up and walked towards the front of the classroom, her shoulder brushing past Jefferson as she did so. Max shuddered. 

_ “Creepy bastard.” _ Max scowled. _ “He may as well have ‘guided’ her by the small of her back.” _

“This is a photo of the Christian Youth Group I mentor. Both of my sisters are members who help me out from time to time. We take part in numerous community service activities, including support the Meals on Wheels Program. I love them all to bits and I’m so glad I was able to share my photo with you all.” Kate’s smile was contagious. Jefferson looked touched. Once again the photo made its rounds, starting with Alyssa and ending with Max. Max handed the photo back to Kate.

“This is really good, Kate. You give me confidence. In not only myself, but for humanity. Everyone’s so selfish these days and it’s nice to see people who care.”

“Thank you, Max.” Kate replied. “That makes me feel so blessed.”

Max grinned. “The pleasure’s all mine.” 

One by one, the rest of the class shared their photos. Max was impressed by most of them, although she felt a little uncomfortable with Hayden’s “party vibe”. Stella’s was most upsetting. Max didn’t know much about her, but she knew she had a rough life. This assignment allowed Stella to give insight on just how tough she had it. For whatever reason why Jefferson decided to give out this assignment, Max wasn’t sure. It was 1% of their entire photography grade, and everyone was guaranteed an A+.

“Mark Jefferson’s generosity knows no bounds.” Max murmured to herself sarcastically. Thankfully no-one heard.

Stella was on the verge of tears, explaining her story on how her little brother got very sick and the efforts she took to look after him. When the photo was passed around, everyone regarded it very seriously. Stella was holding her little brother on her shoulders, the camera resting on the grass in the distance. Max was impressed by the amount of effort used in getting the right focus. 

_ “How on Earth did she afford such a nice camera?” _ Max thought. She shook her head. _ “Shouldn’t bother with such trivial details. I should just appreciate it for the good photo it is.” _

Taylor’s was also quite sad. A selfie with a firefighter in uniform. Apparently he was a trainee firefighter that she used to date. While on duty, he died trying to save a woman trapped inside a burning house. Neither of them survived. The local fire department established a plaque and a photo just for him. 

Daniel and Alyssa both shared about other areas of art that interested them - Daniel’s drawing, as Max predicted, and Alyssa’s former band. Max blinked. She had no idea Alyssa used to be in a band. 

“Aaaaand lucky last! Come on up.” Jefferson smiled sweetly at Max. Max wanted to throw up, both in disgust at Jefferson and fear from the class. 

“Okay.” Max cleared her throat. “Hi, everyone. My name is, uh, Max Caulfield. For the past five years I’ve lived in Seattle, but I moved back to my sweet home town of Arcadia Bay to pursue a career in photography. I’ve lived a pretty normal life, with a few messed-up bits here and there.”

“I guess that’s normal, huh?” Jefferson joked. The class laughed. 

“Y-yeah. Anyway. My photo is very special to me. You won’t be able to see it from here…” Max pulled out her polaroid and held it up. “These are my best friends. They’ve been through so much, both with me, and with each other. We’re living together at the moment, and I couldn’t ask for a better group of people.”

“Hey, that’s-” Jefferson started to say.

“Rachel Amber, yes. And Chloe Price.”

Numerous people from the class started whispering to each other excitedly. 

“You’re living with Rachel Amber?” Hayden asked. “Luck-ee.” 

“Don’t worry, I’ll put a good word in for you.” 

Hayden laughed. “No way would I ever go against Chloe. I have enough dignity and sense to not get my ass kicked.” 

_ “So you’re sensitive…” _Max recalled an almost forgotten memory. She hoped to see Warren soon. Max made sure to talk briefly during science earlier that day, but it wasn’t enough.

“You’re smarter than most, Hayden.”

“A polaroid? Are you serious?” Victoria scoffed. 

“Hey! I like my polaroid. Trusty and has been with me for a long time.”

“Now now, Victoria. Need I remind you that we said only positive criticism at this stage.” Mark Jefferson asked. “I certainly do not want any mockery or bullying happening in my classroom EVER, especially today. Got it?”

“Yes sir, Mr. Jefferson.” Victoria sighed. “Sorry Max. It’s pretty cool. Polaroids are… unique.”

“I’m a unique sort of gal.” Max smiled. “Actually that’s a lie. Look at me.” 

The class laughed. Even Victoria giggled. 

“How come you chose that photo, Max?” Alyssa asked. “No offense, but it’s pretty generic.”

“No no, none taken. That’s a good question.” Max nodded. “Victoria’s photo was about how the differences in her family refuse to separate them. Stella’s photo showed that the bond between her and her brother can beat any hardship. Kate showed how strong humanity can be if we work together to help out.” 

The three photographers mentioned all blushed.

“So what mine represents, is that despite all that we all have gone through or will go through in the future, we always have each other to fall back in. That despite everything, it’s still us. We’re still here. We spit in the faces of those who speak out against us. That together, we can do anything. I love these girls to pieces and nothing nor no-one will ever take that away from me.”

“Wow, Max. That’s really quite powerful.” Daniel said. “Rachel Amber is an admirable person, as is Chloe, even though I haven’t met her. You are really lucky to know them.”

“Thanks, Daniel. I am lucky. They’re superb.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, how come they’re so important to you?” Stella asked. “I mean, I’ve met them both, and they’re pretty cool people, I just wanna know why they’re so important.”

“Well, it’s like I’ve said. We’ve been through thick and thin.” Max took a deep breath. “Chloe - the girl with the blue hair - and I have been friends since we were kids. Around the same time I was about to move to Seattle, Chloe’s dad died.”

Harsh whispers flew around the classroom. 

“Oh shit I remember that!” Stella cried. “God that was an awful time for her.”

“Language, Stella. This is still a classroom.” Jefferson scolded. Stella apologised. Victoria seemed angry that the class was so interested in the photo. Max couldn’t blame her - after all, it was about two people she seemed to hate. 

“When I left, things were very hard on Chloe. If Rachel Amber hadn’t had come along , then…” Max trailed off. “Rachel and Chloe were very tight, I’m sure you all know.”

Giggles circulated around the class. Victoria pulled a face. 

“Rachel’s family life was also fucked up, but I’m not gonna get into that. Chloe and Rachel went through hell on earth just to find the answers they needed. When I moved back to Arcadia, everything was different. Rachel and Chloe accepted me back in with open and loving arms, and we formed a bond stronger than familial blood could ever make. They were tough as nails, nothing could stand in their way or separate them. And yet, they have been nothing but kind and loving to me since I came back, and I love them for it.” Max smiled and looked at the photo. “So when I see them in this photo, happy and smiling, I remember that despite all the pain and suffering we have endured, we’re still here, all together, and we have these happy moments that we can latch onto. That’s what this photo means to me.”

“I see you’ve put a lot of thought into this photo. It’s impressive.” Jefferson beamed. “The expressions you use in this photo - so fiery yet so... innocent.”

Never had Max wanted more than to erase her memory than right then. She started coughing. “Thank you, Mr. Jefferson.” She handed her photo to Alyssa, who then resumed the same order of passing it around. Max looked at Victoria as she sat back down. Victoria stared at the photo for a long time, her face an enigmatic array of emotions. Mostly anger. She handed the photo to Kate and sat down in a huff. Taylor looked confused. 

“Max, that was very brave of you. I didn’t know there would be so much meaning behind one simple polaroid.” Kate said.

“To be honest? I took it last night. We had a pretty insane day yesterday and it was nice to just chill.”

“I’ll bet. You were at the store that was robbed, weren’t you?”

“It wasn’t robbed. We_ stopped_ the robber. Then I saved Victoria from getting hit by a car.” Max replied.

Max could see Victoria shudder out of the corner of her eye.

“Wow Max. That must have been scary.” 

Max nodded. “It was. But Chloe and Rachel were there, and they helped me through it. I really did mean what I said.” She glanced at Jefferson. “I love them, and I would do anything to keep them safe. And I mean, anything.” 


	23. Tales of Rachel Amber

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max runs into several people after class, including Rachel. She finally asks her the burning question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a wee bit longer than normal, but I hope you’ll forgive me for that ;) 
> 
> Here’s the much-needed closure y’all were wanting!

Max encountered Warren outside the classroom after class had finished. He seemed to be waiting for her. 

“Hey Warren.” She smiled. “What’s going on?” She really did miss his company. No drama, no romance, no bullshit. Just two good friends nerding out together. They may have been two entirely different peas, but they were still grown in the same pod.

“Maximillion Pegasus!” Warren grinned. “How’s it hanging?”

“I asked you first.” Max giggled. 

Warren chuckled. “That you did, my friend. I’m alright. Classes sucked, as usual. How about you?”

“Oh what, physics with me wasn’t fun?” Max joked. 

“That was the one good class of the day.” Warren smiled sweetly. “So, do tell me: How was our master photographer’s first class?” 

“Pretty interesting. Got to know a lot about my classmates. Jefferson got us to do a pretty cool icebreaker.”

“Oh yeah, you told me. Can I see the photo again?”

“Sure.” Max handed Warren the photo.

“This is still an amazing shot. You should be teaching the class, not that pretentious asshole.”

“I see you’ve made acquaintances.”

“Nope. I just have good ears.” 

Max giggled. “Ugh, it’s not that I don’t like him, like he’s a good teacher, he’s just so creepy. Did you know he sits on Daniel’s desk and doesn’t face any of the male students?”

“Ew! What the fuck? That’s so weird!” Warren pulled a face. “Especially considering his photos.” 

Max sighed. “Whatever it takes for me to get famous.”

“Fame shouldn’t be your priority. It should be what you put out into the world, not what you receive from it.”

“Wow, thanks Confucius.”

“I’m serious. That’s the first step to beating your insecurities.”

“Huh, you know what? That’s actually really good advice.”

“I’m not all about making things blow up and watching shitty 80’s movies.” Warren laughed, and Max joined in. “Which reminds me, we should chill and have a movie night together some time.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun, Warren.” Max said. She heard a noise from ahead, so she craned her neck around Warren’s head to see what was happening. “Hold that thought, I have to see to something.”

“If you don’t want to, that’s totally fine.” Warren mumbled more to himself rather than to Max. Max walked around Warren to the commotion, to find Taylor and Victoria pinning Kate up against her locker.

“Community service with my youth group!” Victoria mocked.

_ “Uh oh.” _Max sighed.

“God, could you be any more self-righteous and performative? ‘Look at me I’m so selfless!’ It’s honestly pathetic.”

“No!” Kate insisted. “It’s not like that at all!”

“Oh, give me a break.” Victoria rolled her eyes.

“Hey!” Max stepped in between them, shoving Victoria backwards.

“What the fuck, Caulfield? What is wrong with you?”

“I could ask you the same question, _ Chase _.” Max put extra effort into emphasising Victoria’s last name, to the desired effect. Victoria was fuming. “Why the hell are you going around picking on people like this? This isn’t middle school. You’re almost a fucking adult. Grow the fuck up.” 

  
“Oh right, cause you’re so grown up yourself.” Victoria commented. Taylor giggled. 

“Maybe I’m not, I just know that it’s far better to uplift other people and be there for them, instead of putting people down just because I can’t handle my own insecurities.”

“W- Excuse me?” Victoria was furious. “So I’m insecure?”  
  


‘Yes, Victoria. I can see it in your eyes. Honestly, it’s rather pathetic. I’d feel sorry for you right now if you weren’t just such a bitch to someone who proved today how kind she is.” 

Victoria snarled. “Screw you, Caulfield!”

“Oh right, I’ll remember that next time you almost get hit by a car. Maybe I’ll just let it happen.”

“Wait holy shit that was you?” Taylor cried. “That was her?” She turned to Victoria. 

“Don’t remind me of that, Max. I’m still freaked out over it.”  
  


“Then maybe you should spend your energy working on that, instead of bullying other students.”

Victoria scowled. 

“Funny, Rachel said you changed. I guess old habits die hard.” 

At the mention of Rachel’s name, Victoria’s face turned red with anger. Max could hear Warren holding back laughter. Max smirked.

“Shut the fuck up! Don’t even talk about her!” Victoria cried. “That’s so ironic, you bringing a photo of her and her stupid girlfriend along for class. That was literally the dumbest photo out of all of them. Even worse than Kate’s. Like seriously, you look like such a third wheel it’s not even funny.”

“She’s not a third wheel.” Came a voice from behind Victoria. Victoria spun around quickly, watching as Rachel walked right past her and kissed Max on the lips. 

“Ew! What the fuck?” Victoria cried as she dropped her jaw.

“If you keep your mouth like that, it’ll stay that way.” Rachel said after she broke the kiss. “Actually, please keep it like that. It looks nicer.”

Victoria closed her mouth and scowled again. She stormed off angrily. Taylor seemed too stunned to react at first, before quickly turning and running after Victoria.

Warren finally couldn’t contain it, and burst out laughing. “That was the best shit I have ever seen!” He cried. “I’m so glad I was able to witness that.”

“I just thank you for staying out of it.” Max replied. “You alright, Kate?”

“Y-yes, I-I think so... “ Kate cleared her throat. “Thank you. I don’t know why Victoria was so rude to me.”

Rachel waved her hand dismissively. “Victoria just loves to project. She probably actually thinks you’re super cool, and she hates it, because she can’t deem anybody as good.”

“Who knows what’s going on her head?” Warren shrugged. “Who even cares?”

“That’s the right attitude, Warren.” Max smiled. “Anyway, thanks for making an entrance, Rachel. As usual.”

“Well I did just come out of drama class...”

“That was quite the show, yes.” Kate coughed. 

“You sure you’re okay?” Warren asked. 

“I’ll be fine.” 

Warren looks at Max hesitantly, and she gives him a knowing nod.

“Come, Kate. Let me carry your stuff. I’ll walk with you to the bus stop.” Warren says. 

“That’s very kind of you.” Kate smiles. As they walk off, their conversation slowly fades. “So, it’s Warren, right?”

“Yeah. I had physics with Max this morning. She’s in your photography class right?...” Warren’s voice fades to nothing as they leave the school building. Max and Rachel are still standing by the lockers.

“Future lovers in the making.” Rachel smirked. 

Max shuddered. “Better her than me, that’s for sure.”

Rachel nodded. “They’d actually be cute together.” 

“An atheist scientist and a devout Christian photographer? You’re high.” 

Rachel shrugged. “Can I see the photo again?”

“Sure.” Max smiled as she handed her the picture. 

Rachel grabbed Max’s hand and together they walked outside into the sunshine. It’s hot, but there’s a slight cool breeze that tickles Rachel’s bare legs. She wore a skirt that was probably too short for school code. Luckily Blackwell didn’t seem to care. Max spied David and smiled at him, and he simply gave a nod. 

“Let’s sit down here. We got plenty of time to kill before Chloe finishes work.” Rachel said, sitting down under the shade of a small tree. 

“Like, an hour?” 

Rachel shrugged again. She spotted Samantha at a nearby tree, reading Shakespeare. She waved to her, and Samantha looked up and enthusiastically waved back. 

“You know her?”

“Oh yeah, totally. I got her to audition for the school play last year. She always has her nose in one, so I figured I’d get her to see what it’s actually like.”

“What was the school play last year?” 

“Another Shakespeare, as Keaton can’t seem to let him go. _ Othello _.”

“Oh cool! I would have loved to see that.” 

“Problem is, there were a lot more actresses than female characters, and vice-versa for the men.” Rachel sighed. “I had to play another male character again. At least Hayden and Dana knocked it out of the park again as the main characters.”

“Men hate putting themselves out there anywhere that isn’t a sports ground, huh?” 

Rachel laughed. “Oh no, but you see, Maxine, it doesn’t involve absolute brute strength and aggression, therefore it isn’t manly, and therefore it’s not ‘cool’ or worth our attention!” She cried sarcastically. 

Max laughed. “I’d be keen to take some photos for the newsletter about this year’s one.”

“Oh please do. That would be wonderful.” Rachel sighed. She remembered she still had the photograph in her hand. “This is a wonderful shot, Max. I had no idea you could exhibit so much emotion from one stupid selfie.”

“It certainly is powerful, isn’t it?” Max lay down next to Rachel, looking up at the clear blue sky. “That photo represents the fruit of our struggles. How far we’ve come and where our pain has led us. That’s why it’s so powerful.” Max chuckled. “It’s also a subtle ‘fuck you’ to Jefferson. Like ‘We’re still here you crusty-ass pedo’.” 

“Amen to that, sister.” Rachel chuckled. 

“Just one thing, though.” Max said, suddenly serious. 

“Yes, Max?”

“I… still don’t know what happened. I did change the course of history, and I'm caught up on certain things, but I don’t remember anything that we all did together.” She rolled over and turned to face Rachel. “Can you tell me what happened, please?”

“Not everything was all sunshine and rainbows and kisses.” Rachel sighed. 

“There’ll be a cold day in hell before we get even a week’s worth of that.” 

“Heh, you’re not wrong.” Rachel slid her legs down on the grass so that she was lying right next to Max on the grass, looking up at the same patch of sky. “I assume you want the full story?”

Max blinked. “Of course. Is that even a question?” 

*

“Oh shit!” Chloe cried. “Max just texted me.” 

Rachel came running over. They were in their regular shack out in the junkyard. They hadn’t needed it as much as they used to, but every once in a while it was nice to escape there. Particularly when negative emotions were high. 

“Call me now. Got exciting news.” Chloe read out the text. ‘Dosed’ by Red Hot Chili Peppers was playing quietly in the background. 

“That’s ominous.” Rachel frowned. “I hope it is actually exciting, and not another one of Max’s trademark sarcastic jokes.” 

“I don’t know, she does seem quite excited. She sent me this emoji. That means you know she’s serious.”

“Well, call then!” She sat down on the spool next to Chloe, turning off the music playing through her bluetooth speaker. 

Chloe hesitated. She was never overly comfortable with phone calls, particularly to the friend who didn’t often call back. She shook herself off and rang, putting the phone on speakerphone. 

“Chloe!” Max’s voice immediately rang through, making Chloe jump. 

“Caulfield, how many times do I have to tell you? NO EMOJI!” Chloe laughed. 

“Aw, but it’s cute.” Max replied. “Besides, I think it’s cute the way you get flustered like this.”

Chloe spluttered. “I do NOT get flustered.” 

Rachel leaned and whispered into Chloe’s ear, “Hey honey? You just did.”

Chloe huffed. Max laughed. “Anyway, what’s the news, star photographer?”

“It’s actually about photography.” Max said, her voice briefly resembling a robot.

“The service out here sucks.” Rachel muttered.

“I got accepted into the photography course at Blackwell! I’ll be moving back to Arcadia Bay in a couple months!”

“Shit, Max! That’s wonderful news!” Chloe exclaimed. She turned and whispered to Rachel. “We should have seen this coming. It’s as Max predicted. Did she just forget?” 

Rachel shook her head. “Maybe for once she actually wants to forget that anything ever happened there.” 

Chloe shrugged and turned back to the cellphone in her hand. “Actually, we’ve just found a place to live for the coming school year, and the only place we’ve found is way too big and way too expensive for just the two of us, did you want to move in?”

“Move in!?” Max cried. “With you guys!?” She squealed. “I’d love to!” 

“Did she actually just squeal? Like a 14-year-old?” Rachel laughed

“Ah, the gift of youth.” Chloe smirked. “About time she had it.” She murmured. 

“Anyway, is that all you called us about? To squeal like a little schoolgirl about coming back to shithole bay?” Rachel asked. 

“I’m coming back for you guys. You know that.” Max replied. Chloe looked away. 

“Yeah, of course.” Rachel said. “It’s just that… you’ve been kind of distant, lately and…” She trailed off. 

“I know. I’m sorry. I’ll do better.” 

“You better, Supermax! Not long now.” Rachel laughed. “Come now, you guys! We’ll all have fun? Right?” 

“Yeah! You’re right. Anyway, do gotta dash. Got shit to do.”

“Got shit to do on a Sunday, Max? Guess some things never change.” Chloe chuckled.

“No. Guess not.”

*

“Max Caulfield! How’s my favourite photographer?” Chloe beamed. 

“CHLOE!” Max cried, jumping off the bus and into Chloe’s open arms.

“Woah, Max! Down girl!” Chloe coughed. “You’re not as light as you used to be.”

“Says the resident strong-girl.” Max said dryly. 

Chloe flexed her muscles. Rachel stared. Chloe had gotten a lot more muscular since they started going to the gym together. Rachel mostly did it for her weight, but it seemed to be providing more of an actual effect on her girlfriend instead. 

Max turned to Rachel. “Rachel! How are you?”

Rachel hugged Max. “It’s so good to finally meet you.” She felt Max’s body go rigid, so she let go and looked at her. She seemed sad. “Hey, Max? You alright?”

Max shook her body violently, as if she’d been jolted out of a trance. “Sorry, it’s weird. Being back in Arcadia. I didn’t get much sleep on the bus.”

“Can’t say I blame you.” Chloe chuckled. “Rickety old bastard.” 

“Better get my bags out.” Max sighed. 

“We’ll help. And we won’t take no for an answer.” Rachel said. Max looked grateful, but dazed. 

“Christ, Max! What’s in this?” Chloe cried in a strained voice, heaving a large suitcase out of the bus.

Max blinked. “All of my clothes.”

“You wear the same hoodie every day.” Chloe replied, finally managing to put the suitcase on the concrete. 

“How would you know?” Max asked. 

“Dude, you send me selfies all the time. We’re like, viewers of your private social media.” 

Max smiled wryly. “Better than actually using my social media. I’d just about die from sheer embarrassment.”

“Well, you know you’re gonna have to put yourself out there eventually.” Rachel said. “You and me both.”

Max’s expression didn’t change, aside from a slight sadness Rachel could see in her eyes. She said nothing. Rachel couldn’t help but feel like Max saw a ghost every time she looked at her. 

Unfortunately, she knew why. 

Chloe coughed, sensing the tension. “You guys gonna help, or…?”

Rachel blinked. “Sorry. I just got lost in Max’s eyes for a second.” 

Max rolled her eyes. “Got several more boxes to carry. How far away is the truck?” 

“Couple blocks thataways.” Chloe said, pointing down the road. “Not easy to get a park too close.” 

“That’s fine. I could manage that far.”

Rachel nodded. “Sure. Can’t be too hard.”

Max smirked. “In that case, you can carry my books. I’ll get the guitar, my laptop, my photos, and essentially everything else.”

“I can just wheel this along the ground, so I can carry something else.” 

“Cool. I think the box for my stereo is somewhere…”

“Jesus, Caulfield. I do still have to carry your clothes.” 

“Oh, fine. You can just take this box of miscellaneous shit. It should be pretty light.”

Rachel picked up the box of books and almost collapsed. “Christ, Max!” She cried. She heaved the box with great effort and managed to move it a couple feet before having to place it on the ground. 

“Be careful! The ground is still wet.” Max squeaked. 

“More like, ‘be careful, don’t break your fucking back!’” Rachel cried. 

“This might take more than one trip.” Chloe murmured. 

“Yeah you’re telling me. Come on, let’s get this shit in the truck.”

After getting everything in the back of the truck, the girls all climbed in. Chloe took extra care on the road to make sure nothing of Max’s broke or fell out. The drive to the apartment was done mostly in silence, mostly because Max fell asleep instantly, her head resting on Rachel’s shoulder. Rachel couldn't help but feel her heart race because of it. 

“Chloe?” Rachel asked quietly.

“Yeah, Rachel?” Chloe replied just as quietly, turning to look at her.

“I’m worried about Max. She seemed so… distant.” 

“She’s back in hell, Rach.” Chloe smiled. She turned her attention back to the road. “I joke, but I’m worried about her too. This is where, or rather when, it all happened.” 

“Yet, I’m alive. Is that not a bit of justice?” Rachel said. “Max looked at me and saw a ghost. This is different from hearing my voice through a phone, I could tell.”

“Her memory of you is missing person posters and a dead body. I can’t exactly blame her.” Chloe sighed. 

“I know, but I feel like there’s something else.”

“About her or about you?” Chloe smirked. 

“Well… both. Max just seems.. vacant. Like she’s on autopilot.”

“Maybe. But I can’t help but feel like there’s something you’re not telling me. You haven’t shoved Max off your shoulder, but you’re leaning further away from her, like you’re nervous.”

Rachel scowled. “Since when did you get so perceptive?”

“Since I started dating the DA’s daughter.” 

“Touché.” Rachel said. “It’s a little deeper, and I suppose a lot dumber, than that.” She sighed. “I think I’m developing a crush on Max.”

“Wow. Didn’t think she’d be your type.” Chloe said dryly. 

“I didn’t think you’d be my type either, dumbass.” Rachel grinned. 

“Max will never have the pleasure of granting you your sexual awakening. How sad.” Chloe grinned back. 

“Shut up!” Rachel giggled and shoved Chloe. 

“Hey! Hands off the driver!” Chloe cried, trying her best not to swerve the truck as it edged towards the centre line. 

“How come everything is so different, and yet still the same?” Rachel asked. 

“Cause we’re here. Together.” Chloe sighed. “It’s as Max said, 5 years ago. ‘I’ll come back, and it’ll be like I never left.’”

“Did you miss how it was?”

“There’s a lot of things I miss about that time. My dad, Max, the actual enjoyment I felt for school.” Chloe smiled wryly. “But mostly Max. And now that she’s back, I…”

Rachel’s heart skipped a beat. “You feel the same?”

“Fuck yeah. I was ecstatic when you told me. Plus, it’s only natural that it would happen. Between me and her, at least.”

“Do you think this is what would have happened? If you guys found me, alive? We would all be together, alive?”

“Watching as a giant tornado destroyed our town? I think I prefer this one better.” 

“So… what did Max leave behind, do you think?”

Chloe pulled over, slowing the truck to a stop. She turned off the ignition and leaned back in her seat. “I don’t know. Max said something about me getting shot. So the two of us dead in the junkyard together? Does it even matter anymore?”

Rachel smiled. “Probably not. We’re here now, aren’t we?”

“The three of us, all together. Do you think it’ll work? All three of us dating each other?” Chloe asked. 

Careful not to disturb Max, Rachel reached her arm over Max to stroke Chloe’s cheek. “Of course it will. Max loves us both, I can tell.”

“Isn’t that a bit weird? Like cheating?”

“Cheating implies an air of deceit and manipulation.” Rachel explained. “This is three consenting individuals, all communicating with each other romantically.”

Chloe stared straight ahead and nodded. “You always did know what to say, Rachel.” She took Rachel’s hand and squeezed it. “Come on, we better get this sleepy girl inside.”

Rachel giggled. “She looks like she hasn’t slept in 5 years.”

Chloe grimaced. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she hasn’t. You carry all the light stuff. We’ll come back for the heavy stuff when Max wakes.”

Rachel stepped out of the truck and looked up. “Or when it rains.”

“Yes, that is a possibility.” Chloe scowled. “Let’s just throw it in the truck in the meantime.” 

Rachel nodded, and began to work putting all the heavy boxes and suitcase she couldn’t carry up to the apartment by herself in the truck, as Chloe scooped up Max and carried her into the apartment building. 

“She looks like a baby.” Rachel giggled.

“God, she does.” Chloe laughed. “Remember when you were young, and you’d pretend to fall asleep in the car on the way home from long trips, just so your dad would carry you back to the house and tuck you in bed?” 

Rachel nodded. “It’s nice to have some some good memories of our dads.”

“God knows we need them.”

*

“Where’s Chloe?” Max asked.

“Oh. Hi Max.” Rachel said, sitting at the table, a beer in hand. Max had just aroused from a nap, something that had become more and more frequent in Max’s daily schedule as time went on. She was still wearing her pyjamas. 

“If you’re drinking beer, that’s a bad sign, Miss ‘Beer is Disgusting’”

Rachel was tired and pissed off. “Yeah well I wasn’t feeling like a fucking vodka.” She spat. 

“Okay, jeez. Take it easy.” Max raised her hands and backed away. 

Rachel sighed. “Sorry Max. I’m a little angry right now. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.” 

Max closed the distance between them, sitting down next to Rachel. She swallowed. “So, where is Chloe?” 

“We… had another argument. First one for a while.”

“Another?”

Rachel looked at Max. “We argue fairly often, Max. Put two short fuses in one circuit and...” She sighed. “Anyway, it was a particularly bad one, so Chloe stormed off and went for a drive.”

“Oh.”

“I have no idea where she is.”

“Ah.”

Rachel slumped onto the table, no longer bothering with her beer. “You’re right. This is disgusting.” 

“That’s my Rachel.” Max smiled. “So, what was the argument about? Must have been serious.” 

“Funny you should ask - it was actually about you, Max.”

Max looked confused. “Me?”

“Yes.” Rachel said. She sat up and rested her head on her elbow, turning her head to look at Max. “I’m worried about you. We both are.”

“Why? I’m right here. Everything’s fine.”

“Is that what you want us to think?” Rachel asked. “Or do you just not see it yourself.”

Max opened her mouth, and shut it again. 

“You’ve barely talked to us since you got here.”

“Yes I have. I went with you to the junkyard and-“

“I know your memory is fine - believe me I’ve already tested it. It’s just that you seem so distant. Like your mind is still back in Seattle. Or still back in your October.”

“Rachel, I-“

“Listen, Max. Chloe said it herself. You being back in Arcadia Bay is likely to bring back painful memories. I just want you to know you can talk to us. Both of us.”

Max nodded. 

“I reckon Chloe was right. This is something for you to process slowly, on your own, before coming to us.” Rachel shook her head. “I was stupid. ‘Professional help’. What’s a therapist gonna do about the qualms of a time-traveller?”

“Yeah. This is probably the safest bet.” Max replied. She was staring at the table. 

“Is the table really that much more interesting?”

“No I just-“ Max coughed. “I guess I’m still a bit delirious from the nap.”

“You say that every time, Max.”

Max looked like she was going to cry. 

“I’m sorry for grilling you.” Rachel said, giving Max a hug. “Just please, talk to us. It doesn’t have to be me, if you don’t want. After all, we’ve only just met, right?”

“Haha. Yeah.” Max chuckled nervously. 

“Anyway. Enough of that crap. Want some ice cream?”

“Yes please, it’s like 90 degrees outside.” Max fanned her face. “I’m sweating like crazy.” 

“You’re gonna have to get used to that. Once we inevitably move to LA, it’ll be like this all year round.” Rachel smirked. 

“Inevitably, huh?”

“I’m an optimist. Chloe’s a pessimist. Which would make you the realist.”

“Ha! Yet here I am, the one with a supernatural power and crippling anxiety.”

Rachel shrugged and opened the freezer. “Oh yes! Chloe bought mint chocolate chip!” 

“Sick.” Max said casually. “I’ll certainly eat it, but I’m more of a vanilla kind of gal.”

“That’s cause you’re a boring white girl with no taste buds.”

“Excuse you! You’re white too!”

“Yeah but I have taste.” Rachel winked. She scooped the ice-cream into two bowls and sat down next to Max, then ruffled her hair.

“Hey!” Max giggled. “Knock it off!” 

Rachel laughed, and then tenderly touched Max’s hand. “I love you Max.” 

“I love you too, Rachel.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone get to he yu-gi-oh reference lmao


	24. A Sweet Birthday Brunch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Max's Birthday! She's finally 18, although she doesn't feel it. Her friends and girlfriends go out of their way to surprise her. 
> 
> For once, Max feels spoiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a very happy and fluff-filled chapter uwu

The next few weeks flew by Max in a blur. Between talking to Kate and Warren, reminding Victoria of her virtues, her schoolwork, and keeping an eye on Jefferson, every day passed by faster than a trip through a photograph. On the bright side, the amount of homework she had to do actually made her feel like a regular schoolgirl again. 

When Max woke up on the morning of the 21st, she was surprised to find her feet touching slippery rubber rather than the musty carpet she had gotten used to. Her foot slipped and she went flying upwards comically. 

  
“WAAAHH!” She screamed. Her back hit the edge of her bed and she slid down onto the floor. Her head hit her mattress. “Ow.” She whimpered.

“Shit.” Chloe mumbled from outside the bedroom.

“I told you it was a bad idea!” Rachel harshly whispered. 

Max looked to see what the culprit was. Her jaw dropped as she saw her entire bedroom floor was covered in balloons. “What the fuck…?” She started wondering if she time-jumped in her sleep. 

Chloe slowly opened the bedroom door. “H- Ahem.” She coughed. “Happy Birthday, Max.” She smiled.

“Birthday…?” Max asked slowly.

“Yes, dummy. You’re 18 now. Get up, slut.” 

Rachel walked in, making a concerted effort to whack Chloe on the arm hard as she did so. She crouched down next to Max. “Happy Birthday, sweetie. Sorry about the balloons. Someone thought it was a good idea to leave you no floor room.”

Max laughed slowly. “Nah, it was cool. I just need to watch my step. Thanks, guys.” 

Rachel briefly caressed Max’s cheek, before extending a hand for Max to take. She pulled Max off the ground and raised her onto her feet. Together they awkwardly ambled around the balloons and out of the bedroom. Chloe closed the door behind them.

“Did you seriously forget it was your birthday?” Chloe asked.

Max sighed. “Time is a blur for me at the moment.”

“When is it not?” Chloe replied.

Max blinked. “Touché. But I mean in the normal sense, for once.” 

“You still have to think more about other people than you need to.” Rachel replied.

“Yeah.” Max sighed. “Anyway. I remember you saying you had a lot planned for my birthday. Is that correct?"

“Hell yeah we do. Got several surprises for you.” 

“Is one of them hot and steamy?” Max asked sarcastically.

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Yes, Max. We’ve been waiting two months for you to turn 18 so we can fuck your brains out.”

“Ooh! I’m excited.” Max said.

“Ew, you guys. Don’t even joke about that. I’ve had men pull that shit to me and it’s so fucking creepy.” Rachel shuddered.

“Yeah. I know.” Chloe sighed. “Just wanted to have a little bit of fun for once.”

“Sorry Chloe.” Rachel grumbled.

“Don’t be. That was a jerk move.” 

“Well this is a fun way to start my birthday.” Max smiled wryly.

“Yeah, fuck that shit! Let’s go have some fun!” Chloe screamed. “Woohoo!”

“Oh boy I’m genuinely excited now.” 

“I managed to scrounge up a fake I.D, so we can have alcohol aplenty tonight.” Chloe smirked. 

“You’re still a punk at heart, aren’t you?” Max asked.

“At  _ heart? _ ” Chloe cried. “Dude, look at me.” She gestured to herself. Max took a few seconds to admire Chloe.

“Oh believe me I am.” Max nodded.

Chloe looked shocked briefly, then laughed. She whacked Max several times on her arm. “STOP! BEING! HORNY!” 

“That’s ironic coming from you, Chloe Price.” Rachel smirked and folded her arms. 

“Ah yes, miss goody-two-shoes actress over here.” Chloe giggled. “Anyway. We’d want to have fun with just the three of us tonight, so is there anyone in particular you wanted to see this morning/afternoon?”

“Well, Kate, obviously. I think it’d be cool to pay Warren a visit as well.”

“Sounds like a plan!” Chloe clapped her hands. “Ring them up and we’ll take you there.”

“Are you sure they’re not busy-”

“Max, it’s your birthday.” Chloe interrupted. “They have to make time for you.”

“I’m not sure that’s how it works, but okay! Worth a shot.” Max picked up her phone and rang Kate.

“Hey Kate.” Max said.

“Oh Max! I was just about to ring you! We’re all just about to go to the Two Whales. We can shout you a birthday brunch.”

Max smiled. “That sounds wonderful, Kate. We’re on our way. See you soon.” 

“See you, Max.”

Max hung up and pocketed her phone. “Two Whales. Kate said we, so I assume there’s a whole group of them.”

“Wow, going to work on my one day off this week. Thanks Max.” Chloe said jokingly.

Max rolled her eyes. “You’re a big girl, you can handle it.” 

“I didn’t say I couldn’t.” Chloe said defensively, holding her hands up. “Come on, let’s go.” 

Rachel and Max followed Chloe out to the truck and they drove to the diner. When Max got there, she quickly found a booth occupied by Kate, Warren, Stella, and Alyssa. Kate waved at her. Warren got up and hugged Max. 

“Happy birthday, Miss Catcher in the Rye.” Warren smiled. 

“Oh boy, do I never get sick of hearing that reference. Glad to see you’re well-read.”

“That’s Kate’s influence.” Warren smiled as he sat back down. “You know, I thought we’d never be more different, but Kate and I have really hit it off, you know?” He wrapped his arm around Kate’s shoulder, and she rested her head on his shoulder. “She has good taste, just like me.” 

“Your taste is what my family would call a little too sinful for me.” Kate smiled as she looked up at her boyfriend. 

“Ah, but what they don’t know won’t hurt them, right?”

“That’s not how it works.” Kate said. Warren just shrugged.

“Max! Happy birthday!” Stella rushed up and gave Max a hug, somehow even bigger than Warren’s. “So, how does it feel to be officially legal?” Stella smirked.

“Why, you offering?” Max folded her arms and looked at Stella. 

“Haha! No.” Stella said pointedly. “Besides, you’ve already got two girlfriends for that. Ultimate score on that one.” She looked behind Max at Chloe and Rachel, who were having a conversation at the bar. 

“Jealous, Stella?” Max smirked.

“Why would I be? They must be a fucking handful.”

Max shrugged.

“Hey Max.” Alyssa smiled. “Happy birthday.” 

“Thank you, Alyssa! How’s that column coming along?” Max asked.

Alyssa nodded. “Pretty good. Juliet’s got me on crunch time, though.” She sighed. “Newsletter’s gotta be printed next week and I’m not even finished writing.” 

“You’ll get there.” Max nodded. “I believe in you.” 

“Thanks Max. Hold on, I’ll move over so you have room next to Stella.” She moved over towards the window and Stella sat back down, leaving enough room for Max to sit down.”

“So, what do you wanna get? Nothing over ten dollars, I’m afraid.” Warren said.

“Excuse you, Mr. Graham!” Kate scolded him. “Anything you want, Max. Our special treat.”

Max couldn’t stop her eyes from watering. “Thank you guys. That really means a lot.”

Warren and Kate looked at each other. Warren cleared his throat. “We’ve just been a bit… worried, I guess. About you.”

“Worried? Why?” Max asked.

“We think you’re overworking yourself. That you’re too stressed out.” Stella blurted out.

“That’s crazy!” Max cried. “Well yeah I’ve got plenty of work to do, but I’m dealing with it.”

“Then how come I keep seeing you sleeping in class?” Warren replied.

“Or how you seem perpetually angry at Mr. Jefferson?” Kate added. “He’s arguably one of the best teachers in the school.”

Max sighed. “Look, you guys, I love you so much, and you know I’d do anything for you, right?”

“That’s the other thing.” Stella said. “I don’t mean to be harsh, but we’ve only known you for three weeks. A little too early to go full-on ride or die for us, right?”

“Yeah, Max. We hardly even talk.” Alyssa added.

“I’m sorry, Max. We don’t mean to make you feel more stressed.” Kate said. “But if there is anything on your mind, please, tell us.”

“Some things you can’t confide in with your girlfriends, you know.” Warren said. “We’d be happy to share some of the burden.”

Max sighed. “Okay. I can’t really tell you what’s going on, okay? It’s incredibly complicated, but it’s nothing major, and I promise it doesn’t concern you guys, ok?”

They nodded. 

“Cool. I’m starving.” Max said, picking up a menu. She secretly eyed the concerned expressions of everyone else at the table. Warren shook his head.

“So. How’s Chloe and Rachel?” Warren asked.   
  


Max lowered her menu slightly. “Good. It’s nice to be living with them.”

“How long have you been… um…” Kate hesitated and coughed. “Dating?”

Max put down her menu. “Hard to say, really. There wasn’t a definitive ‘Can we go out’ moment. It just sort of… happened. It kinda feels we’ve been dating for years. Like since I first heard about Rachel through Chloe.”

Stella nodded like she understood. Everyone else seemed confused. Max was too tired to elaborate, so she picked her menu back up, desperate to find an out of these conversations.

“Man, I could really go for some of those killer pancakes.” Warren moaned. “I didn’t eat breakfast this morning.”

Kate flashed her eyes angrily at him. “You didn’t eat breakfast?”

“Well, yeah.” Warren blinked. “I got up like an hour ago, and when you rang about brunch, I figured I’d just save room for more brunch.”

“Why so late, Warren?” Kate asked. 

“Probably cause I went to bed late.” Warren mumbled. 

“How late?” 

“3 am.”

Kate rolled her eyes. “You need to take better care of yourself.” 

Warren only nodded. “ _ Conversations like this must be frequent _ .” Max thought. She had never felt more uncomfortable in the presence of her friends. 

“A little birdie told me you were here.” Came a familiar voice from behind her.

“Joyce!” Max cried. She jumped up from her seat and hugged her. 

“Woah, settle down there!” Joyce cried, returning the hug. “You act like you haven’t seen me in years.”

“It feels like it.” Max replied. 

“I’m sure it has.” Joyce chuckled. “Happy birthday, Max. I see you’ve got a whole crowd here.”

Max giggled. “They invited me here. It’s nice to be back at the diner. I feel like it’s been so long since I’ve actually been in here. To eat, that is.”

“5 years certainly is a long time.”

“You’re looking really good, Joyce. I see you’ve gone higher up in the rankings.”

“About time, too.” Joyce grumbled. “Worked here nearly all my life. Thanks to that shit-ass manager who thankfully, got investigated and arrested for wage theft.”

Kate gasped. “That’s awful!”

“Thankfully, with my new position, I can actually afford to live in the house William and I bought.” 

“That’s great, Joyce.” Max smiled. “How’s David?”

“David?” Joyce shrugged. “He’s alright. Still recovering, but he’s getting there. He’s long-since finished his therapy sessions, thank God. You’d have seen him around Blackwell. You talked to him?”

“Not really. Still kinda scares me.”

“He can be a little intimidating, yes.” Joyce sighed. “Thankfully, that’s his job now. And he’s really good at it.” 

“Are you happy, Joyce?”

“With him? Or in general?” Joyce laughed uncomfortably.

Max grimaced. “In general.”

“Max, now that you’re back in Arcadia Bay, I’m happier than I’ve been for a long time.” She looked at Chloe and Rachel, who were sitting at the bar, drinking and laughing to themselves. “You mean the world to Chloe. Rachel is lovely and treats her well, but you keep her grounded. The three of you being together is exactly what Chloe needs. Thank you, Max.” She clapped her hands. “Anyway, enough chit-chat. I’m sure y’all are hungry, is that right?”

A chorus of affirmations erupted from the table. 

“Well then! I’ll go see if I can find a waitress. We’re a little bit short-staffed this weekend, I’m afraid. So it might take a while.”

“That’s cool, Joyce.” Max said kindly.

A few minutes later, a waitress came out and took their orders. Half an hour later, the dishes came out one by one. Chloe and Rachel had since left, but Chloe had reminded Max that she could just text her and she’ll pick her up. 

Max looked out the window. It was beginning to cloud over, but the sun was still shining bright, expertly painting the Bay with beautiful shadows, a dark gloom hanging over the lighthouse. “Give me one second.” Max said. She got up from her booth and walked towards the doors.

“Max, is everything...?” Kate asked.

“I’m fine, Kate. Just getting a photo. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay. You’ve hardly touched your food, though.”

Max shrugged. She went outside and sat down on concrete. She could smell the salty sea air as the wind battered her face. It was blissful. She sighed. Before her friends started worrying, she did what she came outside to do. Still sitting down, she grabbed her camera, and took a photo of the lighthouse, the ground in front of her partially shadowed by clouds.  _ “This is a nice shot. I could show this to-”  _ Max cut her fantasy short. She was outraged.  _ “For a minute I completely forgot everything Jefferson ever did.”  _ Max wanted to cry as she felt all the harrowing memories hit her like a train. She balled up her free fist and, resisting the strong urge to angrily throw her camera, took a deep breath and walked back inside.

“You were gone for quite a while. You sure you’re alright?” Kate asked. 

Max nodded. “Yeah. Turns out I just needed a little bit of fresh air.”

Warren whispered something into Kate’s ear. She nodded and got up from her seat, allowing Warren to get up too. She sat back down and Warren approached Max.

“Stella and Alyssa may not know you that well, but Kate and I do.” Warren whispered. “I understand if you don’t want to talk about it in front of them, but please, Kate and I aren’t stupid. We know there’s something going on with you. If, whenever you feel like talking about it, don’t be afraid to come to us, okay?”

“I…” Max stopped. She didn’t really want Warren and Kate to get involved, but Max knew they were smart people. They would understand. 

_ “Don’t insult me. Please, go on.”  _

Max shook her head. That was the first flashback to the other timeline she had for a while. She realised she had a lot to get off her chest, especially to someone who could understand. Someone from outside. “Warren, I… I can’t. Not right now. I promise you I will explain it to you sometime I just… I’m still struggling to understand it myself. I’m in a very difficult situation and it’s not fair for you to see me like this. I’m happy today, and I want this day to remain happy. I promise, when the time comes, you and Kate will be the first to know.”

“Do Chloe and Rachel know?” Warren asked. 

Max looked down.

“I don’t mean that in an accusing way, they have more of a right to know than I do, but they can’t carry this burden alone. They had a pretty shit life themselves, as I’m sure you know.”

“Yeah. They explained it.” Max nodded. 

“At the very least, do you wanna hug?” Warren asked.

“That would be nice.” Max replied, stepping in for the hug. Her mind flashed as he hugged her.  _ “I… I forgot how warm his hugs were. It’s nice.”  _ Max smiled. As she broke the hug, she was still smiling. “Thank you, Warren. Anyway, I should enjoy the rest of my brunch.”

“I’d hardly call it brunch now.” Warren chuckled, checking his phone. “It’s nearly 12.”

“Shit, really?” Max said as she sat back down. “I’ll call Chloe and then wolf down this meal. Sorry for being such a downer.” 

“Max, you could never be a downer.” Kate reassured her. “I’m glad you could come out with us. I hope we were at least somewhat good company.”

“Of course. Now I’m gonna enjoy this meal.”

In the following ten minutes before Chloe picked Max up, everyone had forgotten about what had happened, and instead were just talking and laughing. Max finally felt like she was having fun. It was moments like these, Max realised, that had become such a rarity for her. The emotional toll that she had placed upon herself prevented her from enjoying life for what it really was in the first place. However, that made these moments that much more enjoyable, and Max was regretting having called Chloe. Looking at her and Rachel was a constant reminder of the hellish world she left behind, and while sometimes she still saw Kate as the traumatised girl on top of the dorm roof, in this moment, she saw Kate for the charming beauty and happiness that she was. Here, with one of her hands rested upon Warren’s thigh as they occasionally swapped loving glances at each other, Max found happiness vicariously through them. Warren seemed happy too, and Stella and Alyssa were friendly and kind, not having to worry about anything bad happening to them. Max allowed herself a moment of glory.

_ “You did it, Max. They’re safe. And happy. This is a day for celebration.”  _ Max smiled.

“Wake up, sistah. The rave ain’t even started yet.” Chloe clamped a hand on Max’s shoulder and shook her.

“Alright, silly.” Max smiled. “Thank you so much, everyone. I had a great time.”

“Absolutely. Our pleasure.” Warren smiled. “Oh hey, don’t forget! Movie night tomorrow at my place!”

“Of course.” Max smiled. 

“You’ve got yourself pretty booked, huh?” Chloe said as they walked out.

“Only good things at this stage.” Max grabbed Chloe’s hand. “Where’s Rachel?”

“She’s already at our destination.”

Max pretended to think for a second. “Let me guess, the junkyard?”

“Max quit abusing your rewind power.” Chloe scolded.

“No, this power is me knowing you too damn well.” Max smirked

“So much for the surprise.” Chloe grumbled. 

“It’s fine, I’m excited anyway.”

“Damn right you should be! Let’s go!”

*

“Fuck yes! I love this song!” Chloe cried as the radio blared to life. 

  
“What’s it called?” 

“Don’t Mess With Me. By Brody Dalle.” Chloe smiled. “I’ve always enjoyed it but…”

“But?” 

“The day I tracked down Rachel’s mom… at the mill…” Chloe stared straight ahead. “This was playing. I was angry. Didn’t pay attention to the road. Almost hit a truck and swerved off the road.” She looked at Max as they approached a traffic light and stopped. “I talked to my dad. I see him in my dreams from time to time, but that was the last time I talked to him. I don’t know what happened. Maybe I passed out? I felt conscious the entire time, but he was there. Talking to me. And that whole time that was happening, this song was playing.”

“Why that particular memory?”

“I don’t know. It was a pretty important moment in my life. I asked my dad if he ever lied to me. He said he couldn’t tell me. After all, he’s dead.” Chloe sighed. “I don't know if I was ready for his answer anyway.”

“Do you still think he did?”

“For my protection?” Chloe asked. “Telling a 6-year-old that Santa is real isn’t going to cause them any serious trauma, as long as you tell them the truth when they’re old enough.” 

“Did William ever tell Santa wasn’t real?”

“Of course. When I was like, 10. He explained to me how they bought the gifts, and how Santa was just a face for excitement.”

“He broke the illusion that early?”

  
“Well, yeah. I was better off for it. How did you find out?”

“Someone blabbed in middle school and I freaked out.” Max mumbled.

“See? Exactly.” Chloe smirked. Max crossed her arms and huffed, looking out the passenger window. “Before you asked, no. I don’t think he did lie about anything serious.”

“I don’t think my parents ever had much drama to lie about.”

“It’s the sort of thing you can usually tell.” Chloe agreed. “Rachel knew something was up.”

“She just had no idea the scale.”

Chloe nodded. “Exactly.” 

They pulled into the junkyard and parked the truck just inside the entrance. Rachel stepped out of the shack and waved to them. 

“Last one there’s a rotten pirate!” Chloe cried, slamming the door of her truck and sprinting towards the shack. 

“Hey! No fair!” Max yelled, chasing after her.

“Come on, slowpoke!” Chloe yelled back, not even remotely out of breath despite being miles ahead. Max stumbled after her. 

“There you are! My two little pirates.” Rachel smiled.

“Little? I’m half a foot taller than you, hippie!” Chloe laughed.

“Oh shut up. You’re like 4-inches taller than me at best.” Rachel huffed. “Anyway, come see the work I’ve done.” She smiled and walked back into the shack.

Max followed her inside with an awestruck look on her face. What Max had remembered as a cramped and decrepit building with rubbish strewn everywhere had become what Max and Chloe had always dreamed of. A secret hideout. The torn and faded elephant tapestry Max remembered had been replaced by a large white sheet, decorated with various colours. A large black spiral covered the background, and 3 girls standing in the middle together, laughing and hugging.

“It’s us!” Max said, feeling tears beginning to form. 

  
“Took Chloe and I nearly all night to paint it. Finished at 3am and chucked it in the truck first thing so you wouldn’t notice.” Rachel smiled.

Max looked around. The same old, worn couch was still there, but it hadn’t been abused quite as heavily, and looked almost clean. Various other pieces of memorabilia were strewn across the place, mostly Chloe’s artwork. Chloe handed Max a large black pen. 

“For you.” Chloe smiled. She pointed at a piece of wall where Rachel and Chloe’s names were written.

Max’s eyes lit up. She scrambled over to the wall and wrote ‘Max was here.’ She giggled. “Now we’re officially a trio! I love this so much. Thank you guys.” Max could feel the tears run down her face.

“Happy birthday Max.” Rachel said, hugging Max.

*

After several hours of talking, laughing, drinking alcohol and wandering around the junkyard, Max decided it was time to go home. Chloe was tipsy, so Rachel insisted on driving home. For once, Chloe didn’t protest. Rachel smiled as the two women that she could proudly call her girlfriends fell asleep, their heads resting on top of each other.

“My two little pirates.” She breathed out loud. Rachel shook Chloe and Max awake when they arrived. Chloe yawned and stretched. 

“Thank you, baby.” Chloe leaned over and kissed Rachel, completely forgetting Max was there, squashing her.

“Ow.” Max moaned.

“You’re still drunk.” Rachel giggled.

“Not even close, babe.” Chloe replied. “Sorry Max. I’ll kiss it better.” Chloe leaned down and kissed Max.”

“That tickles!” 

“Oh it does, does it?” Chloe asked. 

“Oh no.” Max said. She shoved Chloe into the seat and scrambled out of the truck and upstairs. 

“You can’t outrun me, Max! You don’t have the key anyway!” Chloe laughed, chasing Max upstairs.

Rachel walked slowly and calmly upstairs, ignoring Max’s cries for help as she lost the tickle fight. She opened the apartment door slowly and calmly, stepping back as Max ran inside.

“Alright, Chloe, you win this round!” Max giggled, out of breath. 

Chloe smiled, tucking her unkempt hair behind her ear. “Anyway, that’s enough excitement for one day. I’m so tired.”

“We spent like, all afternoon and evening at the junkyard.” Max sighed. 

“Can you imagine how it would have gone down if our pizza had been delivered?” Chloe giggled. She mimed putting a phone against her ear. “Yes, please take it to this incredibly shady junkyard where you will most definitely not be mugged and killed!” Chloe laughed. Rachel looked nervous. 

“I’m glad you’re the smart one out of all of us, Rachel, and suggested picking it up and bringing it back there.” Max said.

“It was fun, in the end.” Rachel smiled. “All of us together, in our special spot, eating pizza and talking shit.”

“Today was a fun day. Thank you guys.” Max yawned and stretched. “I’m gonna head to bed. It’s like, insanely early I know, but I’ve had a big day.” She walked towards her bedroom door.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Chloe asked. 

Max stopped, and turned to look at her. “To… my room…”

Chloe coughed. “I mean, I was just wondering if you wanted to um… sleep with us, tonight. The bed should be large enough.” She awkwardly swung her arms and looked at the ground. That quality was a rarity for Chloe to allow to surface, but Max loved it more than anything else. It was cute and innocent, terms that Chloe didn’t often associate with. 

“I was joking this morning-” Max started to say.

“I wasn’t referring to that, dumbass.” Chloe said quickly. “It’s just… we felt the bed was a little empty, without our third.” 

Rachel nodded. 

Max looked at Chloe. “Then that would be wonderful.”

The bed wasn’t as big as Max thought it would be, but they managed. Max, in her half-asleep state, kept demanding cuddles and kisses, which Chloe and Rachel happily obliged. Max lied on her back, catching her breath. 

“That was nice. This is amazing. I love you guys so much.” Max said soothingly. She couldn’t but feel sandwiched between Chloe and Rachel, but it was a nice feeling. She kissed Chloe on the back of the neck, stroking her hair. Rachel pretended to be upset, so Max did the same to Rachel. “Are you purring?” Max asked.

“Yesss…” Rachel said sleepily. “I’m a little kitty cat, I must have pets.” She meowed. 

“You two are dorks.” Chloe mumbled.

“Naw, is the other sleepy kitty jealous?” Max said condescendingly. 

“No, but the tickle monster is!” Chloe giggled, rolling over and raising her hands up like claws.

  
“Don’t you dare!” Max cried, giggling.

“Maybe we should…” Rachel yawned. “Go to sleep. I’m a sleepy baby.”

“Fair enough. The tickle monster must rest.” Chloe said. “Btw, I get to be the big spoon.”

Rachel tutted. “For now, Miss Price.” 

Max rolled over so she was hugging Rachel, her head resting in the back of her neck. She could feel Chloe’s warm arm around her body and her head resting against hers. Within seconds, they were all fast asleep.


	25. Conflicted Nerds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max visits Warren for a cult-classic horror movie marathon, and uncovers some information that forces each other to open up. Rachel is scared.

Max woke up to an alarm on her phone, simply reading “RING JOEY” in all caps. Rachel was still asleep, but Chloe had already left. It was 9am, so Max assumed Chloe was working. Max opened her social media and discovered that it was Joey’s birthday. She felt a memory surface of her past-self joking with Joey about being a day older than her, and Joey rebutting with a height joke and giving her a noogie. Max smiled. She and Joey must have been close. Max decided to give her a call.

“Hey Joey. Happy Birthday you old fart.” Max said once Joey picked up.

“You’re lucky I’m an early bird, or I would have gutted you for that one.” She replied, her voice clearly not fully awake.

“Did you party too hard on the wrong birthday, little-miss stage diver?”

“Maybe. At least I got laid.”

“Ew! Gross! Don’t wanna hear it!”

“God, I’m just joking, Max!” Joey giggled. “Anyway, apparently your day was pretty special.”

“Yeah! Saw a bunch of friends, and we hung out at the junkyard for a bit. Rachel and Chloe totally decked out the shack for me.”

“That’s wonderful!” Joey cooed. “Meanwhile I just piss-drunk. Well, we also went out to the field and had a bonfire. Roasted marshmallows, looked at the stars, it was sick.”

“That must have been so much fun.” Max replied. “Oh shit! That reminds me- I’m supposed to see Warren today for movie night.”

“Movie night?” Joey teased. 

“Yes, Joey. I’m going to cheat on both of my girlfriends with one of my best friends, whilst he is also dating another one of my best friends.” Max said sarcastically.

“Wait shit- he and Kate are actually a thing? I thought you were joking.”

“God, no. They’ve been thick as thieves for 2 weeks now.”

“Talk about strange attractors.”

“It’s kinda good in a way. If it lasts, which I hope it does, they could teach each other some cool things.”

“Like how not to be a creepy weirdo about sex?”

“They’re equal and opposites on that regard.” Max said through gritted teeth. “Still. I love them to pieces and I’m happy they’re together. Anyway, how are you doing?”

“Hungover.” Joey mumbled honestly.

“Well no shit.” Max laughed. “How did your parents react?”

“My parents couldn’t give less of a shit. You know them.” Joey replied. “Hell, Mom even gave me money for booze. ‘Just as long as you’re home safe’, she said.”

“My mom would have skinned me alive.”

“That’s because she doesn’t trust you. That’s one thing my parents are good at. Trust. Both of my parents were victims of harsh abuse from their own parents.”

Max’s jaw dropped. “So that’s why you never talk about your grandparents.”

“Yep.”

Silence.

“How’s your uh… brother doing?” Max asked, eager to change the conversation.

“He’s alright.” Joey replied. “Still at that retail job, even though I know he hates it.”

“The things we do for money.” Max sighed. 

“God, I’m gonna have to get a job soon.” Joey sighed. “I’m moving out between semesters and lord knows I need money for that.”

“Well, good luck then.” Max said. 

“Thanks. I’m gonna need it. Nice talking to you, Max. I really miss you.”

Max’s heart dropped. “I miss you too.” She said genuinely. “I should go. It was nice talking to you as well.”

“See ya, Supermax. Stay safe.”

“You too.”

Joey scoffed, then hung up. Max sighed as she put down her phone. Rachel was still fast asleep, so Max decided to do some more power training. She hadn’t quite mastered walking while rewinding yet, as it was she could either walk normally and rewind very slowly, or rewind rapidly but be forced to walk at a snail’s pace. Both methods resulted in nasty head pains and nosebleeds and occasionally she would have to lie down for a while. She opened the apartment door, and held it open with a rock they had found at the junkyard Rachel insisted on keeping. She ran out the plan in her head. 

_ “I’m gonna run downstairs, whilst rewinding. Hopefully I don’t pass out on the stairs.”  _ She thought. She took a deep breath, and started running. No sooner than she had taken two steps she was forced to lower her right hand. She sat down on the stairs, clutching her head with one hand and holding her bleeding nose with the other.  _ “Okay. So that didn’t work.”  _ She sighed.  _ “Perhaps I need to go slowly. Baby steps.”  _ She waited until the head pains had gone away, and slowly descended her the stairs of the apartment building, rewinding as she went. She was careful not to rewind too far back, lest she accidentally erase the call with Joey. After what felt like several minutes (but in reality only several seconds) Max slowly opened the door of her apartment and walked back inside, breathing heavily. She wiped her nose and crept into Chloe and Rachel’s bedroom, where Rachel was still fast asleep. Max slowly approached Rachel, leaned down, and kissed her on the forehead. 

Rachel moaned sleepily, her hand lazily reaching out, lightly slapping Chloe’s pillow. Max giggled. 

“No, dad I don’t wanna go to school today…” Rachel moaned, half-asleep.

Max gulped. She knew how Rachel felt about her father. It had been a subject that hadn’t arisen in conversation for over a year, at least from what Max could remember. By this stage, her memories were slowly returning. Max leant down and whispered in Rachel’s ear.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” 

Rachel smiled and slowly opened her eyes. “Max!” She beamed, leaning in to kiss her. “What time is it?” 

“Like 9:30.”

Rachel blinked. She picked up her phone and looked at it. “That was a test, and you failed.”

Max looked at her phone. The time on her phone said roughly 9:25, but Rachel’s said only 5 minutes past 9. “Shit. Caught in the act.” Max smirked.

“Don’t overwork yourself.” Rachel said, immediately in lecture mode. “Your nose is still bleeding. I can see it.”

“Please, Rachel. I just wanted to do something cute for my cute girlfriend.”

“Sorry. You’re right.” Rachel sighed and turned away. “This whole situation is still terrifying to me.”

“Can’t say I blame you.” Max said without sarcasm.

“You have to live with it.” Rachel looked Max in the eye. “Answer me honestly: How the fuck do you do it? How do you not crack under the sheer pressure? How do you survive with that level of trauma?”

“Chloe did and she doesn’t have superpowers.” Max shrugged.

“She’s on antidepressants and has had years of therapy.”

Max looked down and said nothing.

“You cried in your sleep last night. You were tossing and turning. It was horrifying.” Rachel said. “I could tell you were having a nightmare. Chloe didn’t even notice she was still asleep.”

“Sorry.” Max mumbled.

“Don’t apologise. You do that a lot too.”

Max sniffed. “The nightmares are constant.”

Rachel nodded. “I was like that too. So was Chloe. I can imagine for you they’d be a lot worse.” She sat up. “Are there many… of me?” 

Max sat down on the bed. “Some of them. Nowhere near as much as they used to be. Most of them are about the tornado, or Chloe, or J-” She paused. “Jefferson.”

“God, that must have been hell for you. No-one should have to live through that.”

“And no-one ever will again.” Max said confidently. “I’ll put a stop to it.”

“I’m confident you can, but that won’t stop the pain. At some point you’re going to have to see a professional.” 

“I know.”

“Hey Max, is it… difficult?”

“What is?”

“Looking at me. Looking at me and not seeing… a dead girl walking.”

“I look at you and see the woman I love. The woman that saved Chloe’s life. The woman who probably saved mine. A beautiful woman who almost died trying to find the truth about her mother. You’re a brave and wonderful woman, and that’s the Rachel Amber I know.” Max smiled. Her phone started running. “Oh. It’s Warren. I should answer.”

“Saved by the bell.” Rachel smiled. “You’re seeing him tonight, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Have fun. Not too much fun, but have fun.”

Max giggled. “Of course.” Max answered the call. “Hey Warren. What’s up?”

“Maximum Ride! How soon can you come over here? My parents already left so we basically have the house to ourselves.”

“Oh cool! Will Kate be there?”

“No, Sunday’s her busy day. Between church and her afternoon youth groups she’s booked. It’ll just be the two of us.” Warren said casually.

Max gulped. “Oh.”

“Shit does that make you uncomfortable? You can invite Rachel and Chloe if you-”

“It’ll be fine.” Max said quickly, worried she might have hurt his feelings.

“Anyway, the sooner you get over here, the more we can binge.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Max said happily. She smiled. She hadn’t done anything socially with Warren outside school for a long time. She felt that she wasn’t being fair, her being so caught up in her own insecurities. Warren was a nice guy, and it comforted Max to know that she could finally have a best friend that didn’t crush on her so hard. “I’ll have to take a bus. I’ll see you soon.”

“Text me when your bus leaves. I’ll meet you at the stop.”

“Thanks Warren. Bye.”

“See ya.” Warren replied, then hung up. 

“Have you eaten?” Rachel called from the bedroom. 

“Not yet.” Max shouted back. 

“Well eat something. Just a quick bowl of cereal.”

“Says the 130-pound girl on a diet.” 

“Oh shut up.” 

Max laughed. She obliged anyway, and took the time to make and eat a bowl of cereal before heading out the door. 

*

Half an hour later, she arrived at the bus stop. Warren came to greet her. 

“Max! You made it!”

“Hey, Warren.” Max said, offering a hug. He looked surprised for a second, but accepted it. “You look nice.”

“Thanks.” He said shyly. “You do too. How’s Rachel and Chloe?”

“They’re good.” Max smiled. “Chloe’s working and Rachel had only just woken up when I left.”

“Nice.”

“How’s Kate?”

“Pretty stressed at the moment.” Warren nodded. “Between all her church work, homework, getting her photo for the Everyday Hero contest, and dealing with me, she’s got a lot on her plate.”

“Oh come on, Warren.” Max lightly punched his arm as they walked. “I’m sure you’re bearing the load, not adding to it.”

“I don’t know. You of all people know I can be a handful.”

“Warren, you’re my best friend for a reason.”

Warren blushed and looked straight ahead, smiling. 

“Are you… scared?”

Warren looked at her. “What do you mean?”

“Of this relationship? Are you worried? Frightened?”

“I… I’ve just never been in a serious relationship before. Certainly not one at this level.”

Max put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “And that’s okay. Until Chloe and Rachel neither had I. And I’ll admit it was pretty terrifying at first, especially since they wanted me to move in straight away.”

“Yeah but you’ve known them for years.”

“This year is the first time I’ve met Rachel in person.”

“Didn’t you say you came down to visit last Christmas?”

“Ah-“ Max stuttered, then held up her right hand. Slowly, Warren’s movements were played in reverse. 

“I haven’t known Rachel for that long. I felt like an intruder, Warren.”

“Chloe’s known you for too long. That wouldn’t be fair.”

“I know. That’s why I’m saying this- the fear will pass quickly, then you can start enjoying your relationship and all its wonder and beauty.” Max smiled, and felt her nose start running. “Shit.” She mumbled. 

“Woah, your nose. You good?” Warren asked.

Max realised she still hadn’t told him about her power, and now she was getting second thoughts about whether she should. “We should get inside. It’s getting cold.”

Warren looked up. “I think it’s starting to rain-“ His speech was interrupted by a loud clap of thunder. “Well. There goes my hypothesis.”

“There’s a storm a-brewing…” Max said in a terrible attempt at a Northern English accent. 

Warren laughed. “Here we are. Just down this street.” Warren led Max down a nice-looking suburban avenue, lined with trees. Warren’s house was nice and perfectly nondescript. Max realised she had never seen Warren’s house, let alone been inside it. The lack of a Prescott fund meant there was no dorm for them to live in, which meant Warren still had to live with his parents. Max was glad to live with better company, even though she still missed her parents. Max quietly reeled, remembering she was partially responsible for the death of Arcadia Bay’s wealthiest asshole. “Come on in.” Warren smiled, opening the door for her. 

“Thank you, kind sir.” Max said. The interior of the house was much more impressive than the outside. It was large and spacious, and it had clearly been recently cleaned. Aside from the old sheet and ladder resting against the wall in the hallway, it was perfectly tidy. “You certainly know how to keep a place tidy.”

“That’s my parents.” Warren chuckled. “We’re almost finished repainting, hence the ladder. We spent most of yesterday cleaning up.”

“Shit, Warren. You guys have done a good job.”

“Thanks. Anyway, have a seat. The living room is just down the hallway. Wanna drink? I got some soda, tea, alcohol…”

“Some tea would be nice. Perhaps save the alcohol.”

Warren chuckled. “Alright, if you insist. How do you have your tea?”

“Same as Kate.”

“Shit.” Warren mumbled to himself. “Milk no sugar… Earl grey… Do we even have earl grey?”

“You’re stressing yourself. Don’t worry about it.” Max said. 

“No no, you’re my guest. Sit down.” Warren said firmly. “Got it!” He said eagerly. He waved the tea box in Max’s face. “Told you I got this.” 

“Alright, esteemed host.” Max said sarcastically. She turned around and walked back towards the living room. “Where do you keep your DVDs?” 

“If you wanna watch my sisters barbie movies, they’re in the rack under the TV. My movies are all on my laptop.”

“Of course.” Max said. “Wait, you have a sister?”

“Yeah. She’s like, 13.”

“Ah, the best age.” Max said dryly. 

“Laptop’s in my room. Upstairs and to the left. Right in the middle.”

“Cool. You’re cool with me just going and grabbing it?”

“Yeah. No worries. Just don’t look in the drawer- I’m kidding.” Warren laughed. 

“You’re gross.”

“What can I say? I’m a teenage boy, raging with hormones.”

“Ew! I am so not listening to you anymore.” Max fired back, walking up the stairs. She quickly found his bedroom and walked in. She chuckled. “Clearly Kate’s influence has been rubbing off.” 

Warren’s bedroom was mostly tidy, save for a few clothes on his bed. His desk was a mess, however, with books, notes, and several takeout boxes strewn about the large desk space. Underneath the desk was a large PC, and two monitors sat on the desk, covering what little space was left. 

“Shit.” Max mumbled. “That’s an impressive rig. Crap now I want one!” She fiddled a little bit with the keyboard and mouse. A stereo system not too dissimilar to Chloe’s sat on a small bedside table, Warren’s phone plugged in. The walls were lined with various posters, including Alien, Doctor Who, and Halo. “He’s such a nerd.” Max said aloud. “But he has taste.” Max found Warren’s laptop on his bed and opened it. Several browser tabs were opened, and Max being Max, decided to snoop. “Emails between him and Daniel…?”

_ “Hey Danny boy! Need your advice on some drawings. I know you’re more of a pencil and paper kinda guy, but I’m wondering if you have any advice on digital art programs.” _

_ “Sure! What do you need?” _

_ “I noticed you drew some pictures of Kate and Rachel and I wanted to know if…” _

The messages trailed on, and Max got the general idea. Several reddit forums were open, mostly fandoms. Max didn’t bother with them. However, Max’s Facebook profile was open in the browser. She was confused.  _ “What the hell…?”  _ The art program Warren referenced in the email exchange was still open, so Max opened it. The most recent project was not yet finished, but it was a drawing of Kate. Max smiled.  _ “She looks so good here.”  _ Max clicked onto another recent project, and she saw a recreation of her profile picture digitised in art form. “Oh Warren…” she sighed. He must have still had feelings for her after all. She took the time to appreciate the drawing before she let the questions run in her mind. How long ago had he drawn this? Was this why he was feeling so worried about his relationship with Kate? Did his feelings conflict? Who, pray tell, does his heart desire? Max couldn't think of an answer. As more questions racked her brain, she heard the door open.

“Did you find the lapto- Oh.” Warren said, seeing Max, with his laptop open on the drawing. “It’s not-“ he tried to explain, but Max didn’t let him. She used her rewind. She watched as her best friend closed the door and walked back downstairs, him being none the wiser at her antics. She cursed herself for her nosiness. She realised now the best thing for her to do was to tell him. She saved and closed the art program before closing the laptop and walked downstairs. 

“Sweet! You found it. Your tea’s on the coffee table.”

“Thanks Warren.” 

“It’s not too cold in here, is it?”

“It’s fine. We should just sit down.”

“You’re right. I’m stressing too much.”

“Yeah, jeez Warren. It’s only me. You don’t have to bend over backwards for me.”

“You’re right. I’m being dumb.”

“Which begs the question, why do you have a drawing of me on your laptop?”

“Uh… you saw that?”

“I mean, it’s really well-done, but why keep it a secret?”

“Cause I was nervous…”

“About what?”

Warren said nothing. 

“Warren…” Max said kindly.

“I liked you! Okay! There it is!” Warren blurted. “I knew you were already in a relationship, but I still couldn’t get over it. You introduced me to Kate and that was wonderful of you. You’ve been nothing but kind to me and I’ve just been an idiot!”

“Don’t say that. You’re the smartest person I know. And I’m dating Rachel Amber.”

“Rachel is a hell of a lot smarter than me, but I’ll accept your compliment anyways.” Warren sighed. “Kate invited me for tea that day you introduced me to her. I said yes, mostly because of what had happened with her and Victoria.”

“And how did it go?” Max asked. 

“Wonderfully! She was amazing. She was really cool. Reminded me a lot of you, actually.”

Max gulped. 

“Anyway, we decided to make it a regular thing, and after a week, she said she liked me, and I thought I liked her too, and that this could be an easy way to help get over my crush on you.”

“Did it work?”

“For the most part, yes. But seeing you now, and remembering the drawing I started in the first week, it’s still pretty hard.”

“Are you gonna talk to Kate about this?”

“How can I? She’s already pretty fragile. It could break her heart. This relationship is new for her too. She’s never even been in a relationship at all, let alone a serious one.” Warren flopped down on the couch, his head tilted up at the ceiling. 

“To be honest, I’ve been keeping secrets too.” Max said quietly, sitting down next to him. “But mine is quite… hardcore.”

“Please. Anything to change the subject.”

“I…” Max started, but her nose started bleeding. 

“Shit, again?” Warren said. “Hold on I’ll get a tissue.” Warren raced away, quickly coming back with a box of tissues. “Is your secret related to the nosebleeds?” He said jokingly. 

“They’re usually accompanied by rather painful headaches.” Max said, fully serious.

“Shit, Max.” Warren murmured. “You’re not gonna tell me you’re dying or something, right?”

“Ha! I wish it were that simple.” Max said. 

“What can be more complex than death?” Warren inquired, looking incredibly puzzled. 

“I’ve cheated it more times than I can count. At this point, it’s the most simple thing I know.”

“What are you saying?”

“Warren, how much do you know about Chaos Theory? Time travel and shit?”

“No more than scientists and mathematicians that actually study it, that’s for sure. Why?”

Max said nothing. 

“No fucking way.” Warren gasped, his mouth forming an O. “You’re a time traveller! That explains so much!”

“Not quite, and it’s nothing to be excited about.”

“Hell yeah it is! My best friend is a fucking time traveller!”

“Heehee, you sound like Chloe.” Max giggled, then her face dropped. “Or at least, how she used to sound. Now she’s mostly scared.”

“Chloe Price? Scared of something? It must be serious.” Warren replied, suddenly straight-faced. 

“Yeah. I’ll get into it later. Just stay right there, I’ll show you what I can do.” Max stood up and took off her shoe. She placed it on Warren’s head, then rewound time. 

“So?” Warren asked. 

Max held up her shoeless foot and pointed at Warren’s head. Warren reached up and grabbed her shoe and passed it back to her. 

“How did you do that?” Warren asked. 

“I’ll show you.” She replied. “Can you put on a movie? Just play like the first minute or so. Oh and look at the time.”

A couple minutes later, the first minute of  _ The Shining  _ had played, and Max placed her left hand on Warren’s right shoulder. 

“Okay. You ready?”

“Of course.”

Max held up her right hand and rewound time, clenching Warren’s shoulder. The movie restarted from the beginning. 

“Holy shit.” Warren breathed. He looked at the clock. It displayed one minute past 10. “You can rewind time!” He cried. 

“Yes, yes, calm down!” Max whispered harshly. “Look, it’s a lot darker than it sounds. The whole story is rather horrifying. Part of it involves Kate, so I don’t want her to know until I feel she’s ready, and I’ll be the one to tell her. Okay?”

“Okay.” Warren said. 

“Good. It all started in October of this year, when I woke up in Jefferson’s class after having a vision of a tornado destroying Arcadia Bay. With me so far?”

“Where else would I be? Go on.” 

“I went to the bathroom after class, and saw my best friend Chloe Price get shot by Nathan Prescott.”

“Shot- good lord.” Warren breathed. “Ah- go on.”

“After that, I discovered I could rewind time. I was able to go back and pull the fire alarm, thus saving her life.”

“Ah. I see.” Warren said. “It’s like you said, Chaos Theory. The Butterfly Effect.”

“Quite literally. Right before I first used my powers, I took a photograph of a blue butterfly. Ever since then, butterfly imagery has accompanied most of my extreme time jumps.”

“Shit. Okay. So, how exactly does this involve Kate?”

“I was just getting to that.” Max said. “After I saved Chloe’s life, we reunited. In this timeline, it had been 5 years since we talked, and she was desperate to find her best friend that had gone missing.”

Warren blinked. “You mean Rachel?”

Max nodded. “Rachel Amber goes missing, and I never meet her.”

“Shit.”

“After some digging, I managed to work out she had connections to this drug dealer, who did dealings with Nathan Prescott, who dosed Chloe with a date-rape drug in his room after she tried to get some quick cash from him.”

“What the fuck?” 

“Chloe tried to blackmail him, hence the shooting incident. This is where Kate comes in. During this time, a video had circulated around the internet of Kate Marsh making out with a bunch of random people at a Vortex Club party.”

“That doesn’t-”

“Sound like Kate at all? Exactly what I thought. She said she didn’t remember a thing, despite only having one sip of red wine.”

“Wait, so Nathan dosed her?” Warren looked horrified. 

Max nodded.

“I’m gonna kill that bastard!” Warren stood up angrily.

“Woah, now, hold on. He hasn’t done that in this timeline. At least, not yet.”

Warren sat back down. “Sorry. Please continue.”

“The stress and bullying from that only got worse. At that stage, I had a strong suspicion it was Nathan that dosed her, but that was it. A suspicion. Principal Wells didn’t believe me when I told him Nathan had a gun in the girl’s bathroom, and David Madsen was ten times the scary prick that he is now, so I had no-one to really go to.”

“What about Mr. Jefferson?”

“I knew even then he wouldn’t believe me. Anyway, the reason why I felt Rachel and Kate were connected was I knew drugs were involved, and Nathan Prescott’s reputation, as someone both obsessed with Rachel Amber and drugs. It just made sense to me. Unfortunately, I was right. The stress got so bad that Kate...|” Max trailed off.

“Go on.” Warren said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. 

“That Kate tried to kill herself. In front of the whole school.” Max started crying. “God it was awful, I was the only one who went up to save her. Even David couldn’t get there in time.”

“Max, I’m so sorry.”

“It gets worse.” Max sniffed. She explained how Jefferson was the puppet master behind the whole situation, and how she managed to use her time powers to go back 5 years in the past, and all the events that led up to where she was now. After a decade of silence, Warren spoke.

“Max…” He said, rubbing Max’s shoulder. She leaned into his shoulder, tears streaming down her face. “That must have been awful for you. No-one should have to go through what you did.”

“Thank you Warren.” She sniffed.

“So, do you have a plan for taking down Jefferson.” 

Max nodded. “Yeah. It’ll take time. I have to get Nathan involved, and thanks to me, Kristine has him in such a tight hold it’s gonna be nigh impossible to reach him.”

“You did the right thing, Max. Nathan was fucked-up and abused. You saved his life, literally.”

“What about the tornado, Warren? What do I do about that? How can I know if I stopped it?”

“Well, you said so yourself all those weird astronomical events happened after you first saved Chloe’s life. You ended up saving Rachel, has anything weird happened since then?”

Max shook her head.

“Then you may have stopped it entirely!” Warren said eagerly. “You saved Rachel’s life, Nathan’s life, Chloe’s life, Kate’s life, hell, maybe even the entire town!” He rested his head on top of Max’s. “And it was all worth it.”

“I’m still in so much pain, Warren. And Jefferson is still out there. Home free, secretly abusing so many other students.”

“But he might not be. As you said, he no longer has Nathan as a scapegoat. Or that Frank guy for drugs. His dark room probably doesn’t even exist.”

“You’re right, Warren. I’m panicking too much about this. Let’s just binge our movies and enjoy ourselves.”

“That’s the spirit, Max! I’ll max us some popcorn.”

They watched several films from Warren’s movie horde, including  _ The Shining  _ and  _ Alien.  _ Max refused to watch  _ Cannibal Holocaust  _ due to its graphic maltreatment of animals, to which Warren just sighed and chose  _ Final Destination.  _ Warren sat through most of it laughing, but Max felt mostly uncomfortable. The overly graphic and silly nature of the characters death made Max laugh sometimes, but Max felt the entire time like something was just horribly wrong. She couldn’t tell if that was the suspense in the films (Warren had insisted on watching the whole series), or her mind was playing tricks on her, or something was in fact horrifically wrong. She shook off the feeling, telling herself to just enjoy her afternoon with Warren instead.

*

Rachel sang to herself as she worked, cleaning up the dishes from last night that she had neglected to clean. She was singing a Coldplay song, one of the few ones she actually liked. 

“I turn the music up, I got my records on…” Her concert was interrupted by a phone call. “Ugh!” She moaned. “Oh wait, never mind. It’s from Chloe.” She said aloud to herself. “Hey, Chloe! Everything alright?” 

“You’re gonna want to listen to this.” Chloe said sternly.

“Chloe?” Rachel turned white.

“Rachel. It’s me.”

“FRANK?” Rachel yelled. “I told you we had to stay away from each other.”

“I know, but listen. You… your mother… your family… you’re all in danger.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuck fluff. Time to spice things up. 
> 
> Seriously though, thank you all for 5000 hits! I think I'm finally starting to see a steady flow towards a conclusion. I've had one in mind for quite a while, but rather evilly I managed to find a devilish way of actually getting there. It's a little bit fanatical.
> 
> This is gonna be a bumpy ride.


	26. Old Ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old enemy comes back to haunt Frank. Rachel needs all the help she can get to stay safe, which includes reconciling with her estranged father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Yes I did change the name of the chapter. This is because the previous title was too good and I wanted to save it for a later chapter ;)
> 
> Bit shorter than the past few ones, but I feel like it covers everything I wanted to cover. Enjoy!
> 
> WARNING: HEAVY MENTION OF ANIMAL ABUSE IN THIS CHAPTER. I apologise for not putting this warning up earlier. The line preceding it is: [“Frank?” She asked slowly, afraid of what she’ll see.] The line after it is: [“I’m coming for the junkie next.” Frank read out loud.] if you want to skip it

Chloe was already having a shit day at work, and she thought seeing Frank would be a brief moment of relief, but when she saw a person she didn’t recognise run out of Frank’s RV with his hood concealing his face, she knew something was up. 

“Frank. Frank.” She whispered, aggressively tapping his shoulder. 

“What is it?” He snarled. “I’m tryna- oh. Hi Chloe. What’s wrong?”

“That guy just ran out of your RV.”

“What the shit…?” Frank turned around to see the boy walking down the street past the diner, his head down. “Oh fuck!” He cried, causing many other customers’ heads to turn. “This is bad.” He whispered. 

“Frank…?” Chloe’s face turned white. “Frank you’re scaring me.”

“Shit. I thought all that shit was behind me.” He murmured. He slammed his fist down on the table. “Fuck!” 

“What shit? Frank this is serious!”

“Remember Damon?” Frank looked up at her. “Of course you have. He’s not someone you’d forget. Especially you.”

“I thought you killed him.” Chloe shuddered. 

“I did. That’s why I’m scared. Damon, unlike you and Rachel, wasn’t an only child. He was the oldest of 7 siblings. 5 boys and 2 girls. Most of them cut all ties to him after he became a gangster.”

“Most of them?” Chloe sat down. She knew she’d get in trouble with Joyce for slacking off, but if Frank’s situation involved Damon Merrick, she’d have a lot more to worry about. 

“The youngest, Carlos, looked up to him a lot. I know this because Damon told me about him. Back when we were still… you know.”

“Friends?”

“I was gonna say colleagues, but yeah. We were friends. When Damon was killed, Carlos was only 17. All his siblings had long since left home, and he must have gotten pissed off. My guess is he’s been working his way up here, slowly working out who was responsible for his death.”

“So why sneak into your RV? Why not just attack you directly?”

“Cause he wants to hurt me where it actually hurts. You stab a man, he may heal, you destroy things he cares about, he’ll never come back.” Frank said, sounding like he was reciting from something. His eyes widened and his face fell. Chloe’s eyes widened as she realised in tandem. 

“Pompidou.” They said in sync. Frank got up and ran out to the RV. 

“Joyce! I’m gonna take a quick break! I’ll be back in 5!” Chloe shouted.

“As long as you get those tables and that bar cleaned. I’ll need you in the kitchen fairly soon.” Joyce shouted back.

Chloe said nothing and ran outside. She followed Frank to the RV, where he stood in the door, not moving. 

“Frank?” She asked slowly, afraid of what she’ll see.

“Pompidou.” Frank whimpered. “Oh Pompidou what did he do to you?” 

Chloe had never heard Frank more distraught in her life. She was relieved when he heard the dog whimper. She followed Frank inside. “Thank God he’s still alive- holy shit.”

Pompidou was covered in blood. One of his front paws was bent out of shape and his head had been smashed in. A note was pinned to his chest, blood dripping down it. 

“I’m coming for the junkie next.” Frank read out loud. “Shit! He stole my fucking account book!”

“S-sera? Why her?” Chloe asked. 

“He knows exactly where she is, now. Amber hired me to get her a safehouse and check on her. He’s gonna go after Sera, and then Amber will find out. And then he’ll-“ Frank stopped. “Oh no.” 

“What?”

“That’s why he didn’t attack me. He’s not after me. He’s after Rachel.” 

*

“Christ.” Rachel shuddered, her hands still wet. “What the fuck do we do?”

“We can’t let the police know.” Frank said. “That’ll get all of us busted, including your dad.”

Rachel grimaced. She dried her hands and sat down on the couch. “But we can’t just do nothing! He could kill my fucking mother!”

“He didn’t kill Pompidou.” Frank replied. “He had every opportunity to do it, and he didn’t. My guess he doesn’t have the heart to kill anyone yet, not truly. We could track him down and convince him. It doesn’t have to end violently.”

For once, Rachel felt like Frank was being reasonable and logical. “Okay. So how do we do that?”

“Uh… Chloe said bring in Max, but I don’t know-“

“I know what she means. Pass me to her.”

“Rachel, it’s me.” Chloe said after Frank passed the phone. 

“Do you think she can handle it? She’s already got so much on her plate-“

“I know. But we do not have much choice. We need all of us working together.”

“Okay.” Rachel breathed. “This shit is fucking crazy. How long do you think it’ll take him to find her?”

Chloe passed the phone back to Frank.

“Not long.” Frank said. “He’s been tracking me for a while, I can tell. I’d say a day, quicker if he can decipher my account book.”

“Crap.” Rachel murmured. “Pass me back to Chloe.” 

Frank passed the phone back.

“What are we gonna do? Max is at Warren’s at the moment. I don’t want to ruin her day.”

“We’ll pick her up after my shift and tell her then. Tonight we’ll sort out a plan. Frank, is there a time tonight you can meet us?”

Frank murmured a reply. 

“Junkyard. 8pm.” Chloe relayed to Rachel. “Now this begs the pertinent question,” she sighed. “Do we tell your dad?”

“No.” Rachel said quickly. 

“Frank says we should. And I agree.”

Rachel grumbled. 

“I know you hate him. I saw first-hand how much of a lying asshole he is!” Chloe cried. “But this is his ex-wife we’re talking about.”

“He doesn’t care about her!” Rachel cried. 

“Maybe not, but he cares about you.” Chloe replied. 

Rachel said nothing. 

“If she gets killed, and we knew something about it, how do you think he’s gonna feel? Your life is in danger. And if you get hurt? He’ll never forgive himself. I saw how he felt the day you got stabbed. He felt guilty, Rach. He needs to know.”

“But if we tell him, he’ll try to stop us!”

“Then we lie to him. Just like we did before. Say we won’t get involved. He’ll be on the case and we’d sneak in on it and he’d be none the wiser.”

“Okay. I’ll call him and get him to meet us at the junkyard.” Rachel said. “God. This is gonna be hell to explain to Max.”

“Let’s just hope she doesn’t freak out too much.” Chloe murmured. “Better go. Mom’s getting pissed.”

“Take care, Chloe. Give Frank my best.”

“Will do. Bye, my love.”

“Bye, sweetie.” Rachel said before she hung up. She put her feet up on the couch, resting her head on her knees. “Shit.” 

*

Max was having such a good time with Warren, she completely forgot that she ever felt that something was wrong, until she got into the truck and saw Chloe’s sullen expression. 

“Chloe? Is everything alright?” Max asked, terrified of what the answer could be. 

“Rachel is in danger. And by extension, us.” Chloe said sharply. She wasn’t harsh or firm, simply laying out the truth. 

“Shit. Must be serious. Where is she?”

“With Frank.”

“Frank?” Max cried. “Surely that’s the last person she’d wanna see! Next to her dad of course.” 

“We’re seeing him too.” Chloe said, looking straight ahead as she drove. Max had never seen this version of Chloe so serious. It terrified her. 

“WHAT!?” Max cried. “Where are they?”

“The junkyard. That’s where we’re going now. Frank and Rachel will be there, and that’s where Mr. Amber will meet us.”

“Jesus, Chloe. How serious is this?”

“Very. Did I ever tell you why Rachel and I were in so much trouble after we met?”

“You got wrapped up with this drug dealer working with Rachel’s dad, to keep her from seeing her real mom.”

Chloe nodded. “And the drug dealer in question was stabbed to death by Frank. Now his younger brother is in town and wants revenge.”

“Holy shit.” 

“Pretty scary. I caught him running out of Frank’s RV. You should have seen the state he left his poor dog.”

“POMPIDOU’S DEAD?” Max shouted, making Chloe almost slam on the brakes.

“God, no, thank Christ. But the dog was in pretty bad shape. After we called Rachel we took him immediately to a vet. We’re hoping they can save him.”

“God. Why is this all happening now? It didn’t happen before.”

“Chaos Theory. Law of Equivalent Exchange. Who the fuck knows.” Chloe said, in a familiarly bitter tone Max hadn’t heard in a long time. Chloe drifted the truck and squealed on the brakes as they drove into the junkyard. Frank’s RV was already there. Rachel was sitting on the abandoned barge, shivering. There was no sign of Mr. Amber. 

“Max!” Rachel jumped down and ran towards Max, giving her a hug. “Oh thank God.”

“Rachel…” Max tenderly stroked Rachel’s wet cheek. “Are you alright?”

“Max I’m so scared.” Rachel was beside herself. “This is so much more scarier than 3 years ago.”

“I know, Rachel. But we’ll get through it. We did it before, how much harder can it be?” Chloe soothed. She stepped up close to Rachel and hugged her, letting her head rest on her shoulder. 

“There’s so much more at stake here!” Rachel cried. 

“We can do this. We’re a team. With all three of us together, we can’t lose.” Chloe said, trying her best to encourage Rachel. 

“Where’s Frank and Mr. Amber?” Max asked. 

“Frank’s in the RV. I have no idea where Dad is, but he said he’d come.”

“He’d better. I’ll kill him otherwise.” Chloe snarled. 

“Heh. Not before I do.” Rachel smiled. 

“You go talk to Frank. He could use someone to talk to right now. I’ll stay with Rachel.” Chloe said. 

Max nodded, and walked over to Frank’s RV. It had been a long time since she talked to him, but he hadn’t even met her. Max knocked on the door. As she waited for a response, she quickly remarked on how cold it was outside. The wind was bitter, and she shivered. 

“Oh. Hey.” Frank said as he opened the door. He was clean shaven and his blond hair was long and shaggy. “You must be Chloe’s friend.”

“Max.” Max smiled. “You must be Frank. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Tch. Wish it could have been under better circumstances.” He said sarcastically. 

“This shit is all so terrifying.” Max sighed. “Can I come in?”

Frank looked confused, but didn’t object. “Sure. It’s a hell of a mess, but it’s a damn sight warmer than out there.” He opened the door wider and let her in. “You’re sure they’re alright?” Frank asked, pointing to Chloe and Rachel. 

Max turned and looked at them, deep in embrace. “They just need a moment.” She turned back towards Frank. “I… heard about your dog. I’m so sorry.”

“Pompidou is my companion. Seeing him like that…” Frank trailed off. “I just hope they can make him better.”

“This whole situation is so frightening.” Max sighed, leaning against the wall of the RV. Frank sat down at the table with his laptop.

“I’m used to having threats on my life, but this…” Frank sighed. “It’s all over my head. “Bad enough that this bastard hurt Pompidou, now he has to drag Rachel and her mother into this? God. I wish I had never killed Damon. I had to, but I still wish I never did. If I cou-”

“Turn back time?” Max finished. “Sorry, that was insensitive. It’s just something I hear a lot.”

“You’re young. You still got time.” Frank said. “Sheesh, being a teenager seems like an age ago. I’m like 30 now for Christ’s sake.”

Max said nothing. On the one hand, her turning 30 seemed like an age away, on the other hand, it was so scarily close. ‘That’s when you’re supposed to have your life together.’ She remembered Chloe say. She wondered if she would still need her powers then. “It’s been a long time since time has felt so out of my control.” Max mumbled out loud.

“Then you don’t get out much.” Frank snickered. “Since when has time ever been in our control?”

Max shrugged. “Good point. I suppose in the end, we’re all just specks of dust caught up in the vicious wings of a butterfly.”

“How very poetic.” Frank said, a mix of appreciation and sarcasm in his voice. “But you’re wrong. I would be lying if I said I got here purely by mystical force or some predetermined bullshit. I made enough mistakes of my own along the way.”

“To be honest, same.” 

Frank looked up and walked towards the driver’s seat. “He’s here.” Frank opened his RV door and stepped out. An expensive car of a brand Max didn’t recognise drove through the open gates and parked next to the discarded restaurant sign. A man in golf clothes and dark sunglasses stepped out. He had silver-black hair and many wrinkles on his face. His face was fairly neutral, but not vacant. He knew exactly what was going on, but he had dealt with so many dangerous situations that this had become the new normal for him. 

“Good evening, Mr. Bowers.”

“Amber.” Frank nodded. 

“I thought you said you were gonna bring the throwaway car?” Frank asked.

The man took off his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes. “This is the throwaway car.”

Max peered from around the door but didn’t show her face.

“Rachel, miss Price.”

“Hello, Mr. Amber.” Chloe said. She looked embarrassed and nervous. Max looked at her and saw a 16-year-old Chloe, terrified of the situation she was thrust into. Rachel still had her head buried in Chloe’s shoulder.

“Are you guys alright?” Mr. Amber asked. He spoke slowly and calmly, most likely from years of being a courtroom and trying to maintain a level head.

Chloe nodded. “Rachel’s still tryna…” 

Mr. Amber nodded. “I completely understand.” He said in a way that indicated he knew what Chloe was really meaning. 

Max walked out of the RV. “Hi, Mr. Amber.” She said slowly, very nervous. 

“Please, call me James.” James Amber nodded. He extended his hand. “I assume you’re a friend of Chloe and Rachel.”

Max nodded. “My name is Max Caulfield.”

“Caulfield?” James repeated. “Fancy that. I met your mother once during a court case several years ago. Vanessa, right?”

Max nodded. “She never told me she met you.”

“Who would? It was a court case, not exactly flattering. Anyway, we have more important matters to discuss.” James reached into his car and pulled out a folder. “This is everything we still have on Damon Merrick. Because of my involvement with him, I cannot ask the Humboldt county police for any information on Carlos Merrick. What I do know is that he worked for a year on a marijuana plantation, making money to make his way to Arcadia. No files from the plantation could be given, much less to me.”

“So, what does that tell us?” Chloe asked.

“That he probably knows his way around a gun, and the police.” Frank said. “Humboldt’s a dangerous place, and if he worked on the plantation for a year without the police interfering, he knows how to lay low. Fucker probably has a clean record too, so nobody will be keeping an eye on him.”

“So how do we approach him?” Chloe looked between Frank and James.

“You won’t be going anywhere near him.” James said without raising his voice. The change in tone was subtle, but it was enough to absolutely terrify Max. Clearly Chloe felt the same way, as she shrunk back. “Frank, how much does he know?”

“He won’t have an exact address, but with my account book it’s far easier for him to track my movements. It won’t be long until he finds Sera.”

James nodded. “And what about Rachel?”

Frank looked at Rachel, who hadn’t said a word since James arrived. “I don’t know. She’s going to be his next target, but I doubt Merrick would have any idea where she is.”

“Perhaps she should come home with me, just in case.” James suggested. 

“No. Hell no. She stays with us.” Chloe fumed.

“I can accommodate you two just fine.” James responded firmly.

“Uh… not to be rude, but…” Max cleared her throat. “If she’s at your house, wouldn’t that make it easier for him to find you? I mean, you have signs literally outside your house for the next election.”

James Amber’s eyes flashed angrily at Max for a second, and then his expression softened.

“She’s right.” Frank said. “This whole plan of his is to draw Rachel out. If we act like she doesn’t even know it’s happening, his plan will fail.”

“But he could kill my mother!” Rachel yelled, finally turning to face Frank and her father.

Silence. In the distance, a flock of birds resting on the dimly-lit trees flew off.

“That… is a possibility. And one we’re hoping will not come true.” James said gravely. 

“The chances of that happening are slim, Rachel. He didn’t kill Pompidou. He could have, but he didn’t.”

“Pompidou...?” James asked.

“My dog. Today Merrick snuck into my RV and beat the hell out of him and stole the account book.” Frank snarled. “God the one time I don’t put it away!”

“Is he alright?”

“I took him to the emergency vet first chance I got. No way to pay for it but I do what I must.”

“I can help cover it if you need.” James nodded. “So. We know he’s potentially dangerous and sneaky, but perhaps not lethal. That being said, we must take precautions. I can get an investigative team onto him, especially since we should have evidence from the assault.”

Frank shook his head. “The vets found nothing. All we have is the note he left behind. He was wearing gloves.” Frank took the note out of his pocket and held it so James could see.

“Well, that’s charming.” James said. “So only your fingerprints are on that note?”

“I would assume so. Chloe didn’t touch it, and I’m fairly sure he was wearing gloves when he wrote it.”

“Good. We can still use that. We won’t have enough to get a warrant for his arrest yet, but if we can track him, we’ll be able to charge him once he makes a move.”

“How? We don’t even know what his plan is. We have no idea where he is.” Chloe said. 

James walked over and placed a hand on Chloe’s shoulder. “Trust me. We’ll figure something out.” 

Chloe shook him off. Rachel glared at him. 

“I think we’ve done all we can today.” James Amber said, putting his sunglasses back on his face. “Thank you for contacting me, Chloe. And Frank, thank you for looking after Sera during this time.”

“Thanks for coming, Amber. I hope this shit all blows over soon and we can put this shithead behind bars.” Frank spat on the ground.

“I wouldn’t word it that way, but I hope so too.” James looked at Max as he opened the car door. “It was very nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Max smiled.

He got into the car and shut the door. He turned on the car and wound down the window, not moving the car. Rachel took a deep breath and walked towards her father. 

“I miss you, Rachel.” James said, looking up at his daughter. “And I love you. That’s all I’m gonna say.”

Rachel smacked the roof of the car. “Goddamnit, Dad!” She sobbed. “I so badly want to hate you but I’m so scared!”

“You have every right to feel that way, honey.” James stuck a hand out the window and touched Rachel’s cheek. “Come home, sometime. Your mother would love to see you.”

“She’s not my mother.”

“She’s the woman who raised you, and unlike me she didn’t do anything to hurt you. Please, Rachel.” James wiped a tear from Rachel’s face.

Rachel grabbed his hand and held it briefly, before pushing it away. “Please. Just go.”

James nodded. He wound up the window and reversed the car out the junkyard and drove off. Frank got into his RV and followed. As the last rays of sun disappeared behind the mountain, the girls got in the truck and drove home.

*

Meanwhile, at a parking lot in town, a young man was trying to steal an expensive looking car. The owner of the car grabbed him.

“Hey, what do you-” The car owner said, and stopped. “Wait, I know you. You’re that Merrick fellow, aren’t you? The one the Los Angeles police are looking for, right?”

Merrick shuddered. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He shook his arm, but the man was holding it in a tight grip. 

“I have a proposition for you. You want to get Rachel Amber, right?”

”How the hell do you know that?” He shuddered.

“Oh please. Everyone knows the former DA was involved in your brother’s death, going after his daughter would be the perfect revenge. Let’s just say I’m not too far away from her, and I need her too. She does have a habit of being awfully slippery, doesn’t she?”

”What are you saying?”

“I have a plan. The only catch is that I need her alive. But believe me you will get your revenge eventually.” He said. “Must be hard, losing a sibling. I lost my mother when I was a child. I was heartbroken. Cancer, you see. She was only 40. Now, if I let you go, will you run?”

Merrick broke free of the man’s grip, but remained where he was. 

“Good. So, if I were to help you track down this Rachel Amber, would you be able to bring her, and her associates, to me alive?”

“Easy.” He shrugged. 

“Good. Now one final question, Mr. Merrick,” Mark Jefferson grinned. “Do you like photography?”


	27. Night Shift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe's schedule takes a sharp turn, and she receives some unforeseeable visitors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not a huge fan of this chapter, sadly. I just wanted to get something out finally.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy!

The next morning, Chloe got a call that night from Joyce asking to work the night shift.

“Night shift?” Chloe asked. “You never ask me to work night shift.”

“I know.” Joyce sighed. She sounded exasperated, and about as tired as Chloe was. “Everyone else has cancelled on me last minute. I know, it sucks.” 

Chloe sighed. “No, I’ll do it. Do you still need me to come in this morning?”

“Heavens no, I won’t make you work 12 hours straight. You won’t start until 10pm, and by then everyone else will be going home. You just gotta clean up the whole place, and if you could watch out for that old homeless woman who lives near the parking lot, that would be wonderful too.”

“What would I need to do for her?”

“Just make sure she’s not freezing to death. Forecast says cold tonight.”

“Okay.” Chloe nodded. “How long do I have to be there for?”

“However long it takes you to clean. No-one will be there, so you can take as many breaks as you want. Even though you’ll be on overtime rate, I’m only clocking you for 4 hours, so even if you finish in 2 hours or 6, I don’t care.”

“Okay, thanks Jo-” Chloe coughed. “Thanks mom.”

“No, thank you honey.” Joyce sighed. “You’ve saved my fucking day.” She chuckled.

“Language, mother!” Chloe laughed. She didn’t often hear her mother swear, it was only when she was very stressed. The last time she heard her mother swear to that extent was when Rachel almost died, over three years prior. 

“Bold words coming from your pottymouth.” Joyce laughed. “I should let you get back to sleep. Gotta head to work soon, anyway.”

“No rest for the working class, huh?”

“Except for you. Go back to sleep, honey. You’re gonna need it tonight.”

“Of course. I appreciate it. Thanks again mom.”

“Alright. I better go. Love you.”

“Love you too.” Chloe said as she hung up. She sighed. The microwave beeped, indicating her eggs had finished. She walked over to the microwave. Just before she opened it, she stopped and looked at her reflection. _ “Huh. The blonde’s growing back through.” _ She parted the roots of her hair to get a better look. _ “I wonder if it’s time for a change?” _She pondered. She shook her head. She wasn’t really hungry, but she wasn’t gonna let the eggs go to waste. She sat down at the table and read the newspaper. She never really read it, but Max always wanted to know what was going on, so every morning she would grab the paper for her. Max had also got her into drinking tea, from rare sessions when Kate would come over during Chloe’s off-days, which as far as she could remember, only happened about once. Still, she enjoyed tea, and rarely went mornings without it. Despite her current circumstances, she felt relaxed. That is, until she saw a familiar advertisement. “Christ.” She mumbled. She didn’t want to read it, but she simply couldn’t look away.

‘EVERYDAY HEROES CONTEST! Hosted by Mark Jefferson and available to all photography students. Submit your photograph by 10/09 and be in to win a free-trip to San Francisco!’

“Yikes.” Chloe muttered. She still remembered when Max told her everything that had happened. On the phone on the evening of The Tempest, three years prior. Rachel was so stressed Chloe tried to convince her to not take part, but Rachel not only insisted, but also somehow managed to drag Chloe onstage for a rather passionate monologue. She wondered how the hell Max still had so much passion for photography after all she went through with her teacher. _ “I guess that passion comes from rage now instead of excitement. She no longer has that sense of… innocence.” _Chloe shook her head. She no longer had an appetite. She threw out the rest of her eggs and rinsed out her mug. She shuffled quietly into the bedroom and resumed her position in bed next to Max, carefully shoving her and Rachel aside to give herself room. Max moaned slightly but didn’t stir. Rachel snored, which made Chloe giggle. She wrapped her arms around Max and carefully sank her head into Max’s neck. “Oh Max, how the hell did you live through all this? You’re so much stronger than I ever could be.” She whispered, her lips lightly tickling Max’s neck. She yawned, and then fell asleep. 

*

When Chloe awoke after her evening nap, she saw Max and Rachel sitting together at the table, comparing notes. “Uh oh! Nerd alert!” Chloe cried as she walked over to them.

“Speak of the devil!” Rachel beamed. “We were just talking about how we’d go about sacrificing you to Satan.”

“I’ve already given him my soul and everlasting worship, what else could he want?” Chloe smirked.

“His dick sucked.” Max replied without looking up from her physics book. 

  
“Not a bad idea, Max! Too bad neither of you have one.” 

“God, Chloe.” Rachel laughed, shaking her head. “Do you want some food? Left some in the microwave for you.” 

“I take back what I said. You’re not Satan, you are an angel.” Chloe walked over and kissed the top of Rachel’s head. 

  
“Hey, what about me?” Max protested.

Chloe shrugged. “Maybe next time, hippie.” 

“Right. The anarchist stoner with the dyed hair, the tattoos, the nipple piercing, and the ripped clothes is gonna call me a hippie.” 

“Eat me.” Chloe retorted. She took the slightly-warm plate of curry out of the fridge and quickly scoffed it before leaving. “Love you both!” She yelled, a piece of rice spitting out. 

“You are disgusting!” Rachel cried back. “But I love you anyway!” 

“See ya Chloe. Don’t have too much fun at work!” Max grinned. 

“Fun? Me? Never!” Chloe laughed as she shut the door. She quickly descended down the stairs and outside towards the truck. The night was clear, but she could feel the chill air bite at her. She suddenly regretted wearing only a singlet. It was dark, but the parking lot was well-lit. Despite this, she got the horrifying feeling that she was being watched. She got into her truck and gripped the steering wheel. _ “I’m just nervous about the shift. It’ll be fine.” _She thought, but her fears were still festering in the back of her mind. With her life under so much threat, it was hard for her to keep calm and stay focused. She sighed and rested her head on the steering wheel. She put the key in the ignition and the truck roared to life. “You are in desperate need of some more TLC, girl.” Chloe muttered to the truck as she pulled out of the parking lot. She didn’t feel like listening to music, but the silence was killing her. She put the radio on and listened as she drove. 

“That was ‘The Sense of Me’ played by Mud Flow…” The radio host said as the last few seconds of music faded out. “...finishing off our segment on hits from the last ten years. Little update on the weather forecast for overnight, moderate to heavy rain is to be expected around midnight, so if you’re out driving that late, stay safe and drive slowly.”

It occurred to Chloe at that exact moment that her headlights weren’t on, so she turned them on. Traffic wasn’t heavy, but it wasn’t completely empty either. The roads were mostly used by trucks coming from Canada delivering goods. Still, she drove carefully, parking in her usual spot in the parking lot next to the diner and stepped out of the truck. As soon as she stepped out, she felt the immediate chill and shivered again. The chill was quickly followed by fear that she was being watched again, and then by dread for her upcoming shift. She walked all the way around the front of the diner to the back entrance, briefly glancing at the homeless woman, who lay asleep on the ground covered in old newspapers. 

_ “Hmm…” _Chloe thought. She stepped inside and passed the storage cupboard into the diner. She immediately felt the warm interior and relaxed.

“Good. You’re here.” A middle-aged woman in uniform sighed. “Good luck tonight by the way, honey.”

“I’ll manage.” Chloe smiled.” 

“You’re Joyce’s daughter. Of course you will.” She smiled back. “Here’s the keys. Make sure you lock up after you finish. There ain’t much to do, we’ve already done a little bit for ya.”

“Thanks. Hey, do you know if we have any spare blankets? Or anything to keep someone warm and/or dry?”

The woman raised an eyebrow. “You mean for that poor woman out the back? Your mother keeps them in the walk-in pantry next to the freezer with the cleaning supplies.” 

“Cool. Thank you!” Chloe took the keys excitedly from the woman and bounded over to the main kitchen. The woman rolled her eyes and left, slowly but firmly closing the door behind her. Chloe found the door the woman was referring to and went in. “Okay. Should do this first since it’s gonna rain soon.” She exhaled. “Phew. Gotta just grab these, get the cleaning stuff out, give the blankets and shit to that woman, then I’ll have a smoke break.” She slapped her face lazily. “God. This is gonna suck.” She picked up the blankets and set them on a preparation bench in the centre of the kitchen. She then gathered a large bucket, a mop, several cloths, rubber gloves, and all of the chemicals and placed them next to the blankets. She picked up the blankets and walked outside, where the wind was starting to pick up. In the distance, she could hear a car screeching on the road. She mumbled several curses under her breath and approached the woman.

“Hey.” She said, shaking the woman awake. “I thought you’d might want these.”

“That’s very nice of you.” The woman smiled. “You’re Joyce’s daughter, aren’t you? All punk rock and hard on the outside, but deep down you’re a very caring and selfless person.”

“I’m not selfless.” Chloe muttered. “But I know what it’s like. To feel cast out. Rachel and I wanted so badly to run away, but we couldn’t.”

“You had a home, a family, friends who cared about you. Why leave?”

“I don’t know. I thought I did, and to be honest I still want to run. At least now I feel I have something to stay here for.”

“That’s good.” The old woman shivered as she shifted the newspapers off herself and wrapped herself up in the blanket. “Oooh that’s nice.” She sighed. “There’s nothing left for me, dearie. But then there’s nothing else for me anywhere.”

“I think I realised that too, at least for my sake. I couldn’t tell Rachel that. She was a dreamer, and unlike mine hers are realistic.”

“What is your dream, Chloe?”

“Honestly, to be with the people I care about. Keep them safe.”

“Is that why you’re working so hard?”

Chloe shrugged. “I’m never gonna hang something up in a gallery, or get my photo taken for fashion designers, or find the cure for cancer. I’m happy just being where I am. Even if I just end up fixing cars or cleaning benches all my life.”

“I tell ya, the first time I saw you, Rachel, and that other girl all together, I realised that was the first time in years since I’d seen you truly happy.”

Chloe smiled. “They give me hope.”

“And you give them hope.” The woman nodded. “As with me. You crawled yourself back from a place no child should have to be in.”

Chloe felt tired. “I should get back to work. Do you want some soup?”

The woman blinked. “That would be lovely. Thank you.”

Chloe walked back inside. Suddenly being alone again immediately put her on edge. She found various ingredients for a simple soup recipe and let it boil. She walked out the front door and sat on the steps and had a smoke. The street was silent. She could hear the waves calmly against the shore. In the distance, she saw the bright glow of the lighthouse resting on the cliff, illuminating the water below. She shuddered. The street lights were dim and she couldn’t see very far up and down the street. The lack of visibility unnerved her, so she went back inside, extinguishing her cigarette before it was half burnt, and thrust it into the pocket of her jeans for later. 

“SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” A car sped past the diner, skidding on the road as the car slammed on its brakes. Chloe jumped, clutching her heart.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” Chloe shouted through a rushed breath. She shook her head. “I’m so jumpy tonight.” She grumbled. She sauntered back over to the bench where she had placed the cleaning supplies, and after handing a bowl of soup to the homeless woman outside, set to work cleaning the kitchen. 

*

An hour later, Chloe was getting a feel for the cleaning. She had finished mopping the kitchen floor and wiping down all the bench and cooking surfaces. She just had to clean the kitchen sinks before moving into the front area and the bathrooms and storage areas. As the song she was listening to faded out, she could hear a bang on the main door. She scowled and paused her music. 

“Shit.” She mumbled. She was about to walk casually to the door, when she suddenly had a thought. _ “Fuck what if it’s Merrick? Or some other armed robber like from last month?” _She gulped. She looked around for a weapon. The banging was getting louder, and she swore she was hearing her own name being shouted. She felt her breath sharpen and her heart rate rise. She clutched the bench to steady herself. She exhaled. She grabbed a frying pan and slowly edged herself towards the front of the diner. Because the lights were controlled by one master switch, the front area was already lit up. She looked out the window by the stairs to see a pair of large, round-rimmed glasses stare back at her. “Mikey?” She breathed out loud. She rushed to the door and sure enough, the North brothers were standing outside looking tired and paranoid. She quickly swung open the door and they rushed in.

“What the hell are you guys doing here?” Chloe whispered harshly. “And at this time? How did you know I was here?”

“We didn’t, to answer your last question.” Drew sighed. “We texted Steph asking for your address, and when we got there your mom told us you were here. Wasn't happy to see two strangers at her door so late, but at least she was nice."

"God, if only we had your number." Mikey shook his head.

"Also, it’s nice to see you too, Chloe.” Drew added.

“Okay I’m glad to see you guys too - but you scared the shit out of me!”  
  


“Thought we would.” Mikey mumbled. “You know, considering the circumstances.”

Chloe’s jaw dropped. She was so focused on Rachel, Max, and herself that she had completely forgot that Drew was partially responsible for getting her involved in the first place. “Crap. You guys drove all the way here because of Merrick?”

Drew nodded. “We’re also gonna visit dad, but yeah.”

“Shit you guys must be tired. Come over to the kitchen, there should be some soup left over.”

“Soup?” Mikey asked. 

“Yeah. I made some soup for the homeless woman outside. This place has plenty of food, and I’m not gonna let her starve or freeze to death.”

“Thanks Chloe.” Drew said. “How’s Rachel?”

“Terrified. But she’s safe.”

Drew nodded. “And uh… Frank?”

“He’s terrified too. But not for his own sake.”

“Yeah that’s something I don’t get. Why didn’t Carlos attack Frank directly?” Mikey asked. “Surely you’d want to go after the guy who actually killed your brother.” 

Chloe shook her head. “That’s exactly why Merrick isn’t going for Frank. He wants to hurt him, not kill him.”

Drew sipped his soup. “He’s been planning this for years.”

Chloe nodded. “Oh yeah. I saw him run outta Frank’s RV yesterday.”

“Yesterday?” Drew asked. “Shit. We weren’t far off.”

“Still too late.” Mikey mumbled. “It’s a pity we didn’t have a way of contacting you.”

“I’m glad you guys are here now.” Chloe said. “We’re gonna need all the help we can get.”

Drew nodded. “Carlos is gonna find Merrick’s old crew as well. Those who aren’t serving a sentence anyway.” He chuckled.

Chloe laughed. She knew he was referring to the ‘informant’ she had snitched on. “That’s what that asshole got for tossing that bottle at me.”

“This is serious, guys!” Mikey cried. 

“I know, little bro.” Drew said soothingly, wrapping his arm around Mikey’s back to grab his shoulder. “We’re just joking around. A way to lighten the mood a bit.”

Mikey nodded, gradually relaxing.

“We went back to Frank’s RV after we saw Merrick rush out.” Chloe winced. “Poor dog…”

“HE KILLED THE DOG!?” Mikey shouted, standing up suddenly.

“No, thank God. But he’s in a bad way. He’s at the emergency vet in a critical condition.”

“Shit, so he’s serious.” Drew said.

“But empathetic.” Chloe replied. “Frank pointed out that if Merrick really wanted to kill Pompidou, he would have. There was a strong part of him that couldn’t.”

Drew nodded. “That’s actually a huge relief.”

“I hope so.” Chloe sighed. “Assuming that empathy isn’t just restricted to dogs. Frank’s hopeful, but I’m not.”

“Why is Merrick going to so much trouble?” Mikey asked. 

“He’s trying to take everything Frank has away from him. Pompidou was easy - going after Rachel directly is too difficult, that’s why he’s going after Sera.”

“Who?” Drew asked.

“Ah. You don’t know. I’m afraid I can’t tell you that story. But she’s very important to Rachel, so if Merrick manages to kill her, or do what his brother did and get her hooked on heroin again, then it’ll be easier to get Rachel.”

“Like a hungry mouse to the mousetrap.”

“Exactly. Once Rachel’s on the warpath, nothing will stop her.”

  
“Except a knife to the artery.” Mikey muttered. Chloe shuddered. Drew elbowed him.

“Don’t fucking remind her, dude!”

“Ow!” Mikey exclaimed.

“It’s alright.” Chloe sighed. “Now, I have to clean this place. I need the money, so if you wanna help, it’ll have to be from the goodness of your heart.”

Drew laughed. “Fat chance, hippie. Naw, we better dash. Get some sleep finally.”

“You guys have a place?”

“Dad knows we’re coming, he’s just gonna have the beds set up for us. He knows we’re late.”

“Good. We need to catch up, while you’re here. Get Steph in and we can have a round of tabletop.”

“Looking forward to it.” Drew chuckled. “And bring you girlfriends, too.”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “I’m sure that’ll make Steph happy.”

Mikey shrugged. “She’ll get over it. If she hasn’t already.”

Chloe looked at Drew sternly as Mikey walked over to the door. “Look. Thank you. You being here gives me so much more hope. This is a tough time for all of us. I’m glad you guys could rip yourselves from your hella insane schedule to be here for me. Not many people do that.”

“Chloe, you saved my life. Seriously.” Drew said. “Anything I can do to help. Plus, I’m kinda responsible. This is my shit too.”

Chloe said nothing. 

“I’ll see ya ‘round. Take care.”

“You too, dude.” Chloe waved goodbye to Mikey as he and Drew exited the diner. 


	28. Taylor Christensen's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taylor feels awful, so Max and Kate decide to cheer her up! Unfortunately, Taylor has good ears.

Max felt an immense sense of deja-vu walking through the hallway to her photography class. She took out her headphones and looked around. Various people were putting up posters. Logan was pinning one to his locker in the hallway. As he walked off, Max walked up to have a closer look, and scowled. 

“Of course.” Max muttered through gritted teeth. 

“What’s wrong, Max?” Kate asked as she walked up to Max. “Oh.” 

“The infamous Vortex Club Party.” Max sighed. 

“Infamous?” Kate asked.

“Ah- I just don’t like the vortex club.” Max said hurriedly. “That’s all.”

“The vortex club has parties all the time. Why is this one so special?”

“What do you mean?” 

“Well, it was the way you said party. Singular, like this one is of any particular importance.”

“Oh, I guess my tongue just slipped.”

“If you say so, Max.” Kate shrugged and smiled. “Come, we should get to class.”

_ “I really have to tell her at some point…”  _ A nagging thought plagued Max’s mind. She shook her head, and followed Kate into the art class. Jefferson waved to them. Kate waved back. Max refused to acknowledge his presence, feigning a level of shyness her past self would have been jealous of. She sat down at the table at the back next to Kate. Kate took out her notepad.

“What have you been drawing?” Max asked.

“Hm? Oh, just some doodles. Potential character designs.” Kate shrugged like it was nothing.

“This is very impressive, Kate. You should consider illustrating for a children’s book. Your art style suits it.”

“Really?” Kate asked, smiling. “Thank you, Max. That makes me feel so blessed that you like my artwork.”

“Who wouldn’t? You have a great eye.” Max smiled. 

Just then, Victoria and Taylor walked into the classroom. Taylor looked tired and stressed. Victoria scowled at Max and Kate as she walked over to them. Max simply smirked proudly, trying her best to replicate a ‘try me bitch’ expression. Victoria turned her nose up and sat down. Taylor sat down at her regular chair next to the cabinet of cameras and practically smacked her forehead on the table. She sighed loudly.

“What’s up with her?” Max whispered to Kate.

“I don’t know.” Kate whispered back. “We should talk to her after class.” 

Max nodded.

“You know, it’s not nice to talk about people behind their back.” Victoria said smugly. 

“Oh right, like you would know, Victoria.” Max fired back.

“Two seconds and you’re already bickering.” Jefferson shouted from the front of the classroom, momentarily taking his attention off his laptop to rub his eyes. “Give it a rest, you two. For once.”

“Sorry, Mr. Jefferson.” Victoria looked down at the ground, doing her best impression at a humbled teenager. Max rolled her eyes and said nothing.

“I can see right through you.” Max whispered to Victoria. 

Victoria scowled at her. “You are so. Fucking. Dead.” She whispered back. She quickly snapped her head back to Mr. Jefferson, who was staring at them with one eyebrow raised. When Victoria smiled at him, he shrugged and went back to his laptop. 

“Max, that was probably on you this time.” Kate said. “I know Victoria can be… ah… not nice but you do tend to aggravate her.”

Max sighed. “Sorry, Kate. You’re right. Victoria and I have history that goes beyond my time at Blackwell, though.”

“That’s not your history, though.” Kate admonished. “That’s Rachel Amber’s.”

Max said nothing. Daniel walked in sheepishly, like he’d forgotten something. Stella was right behind him. They each took their seats. By the time the bell rang a few minutes later, everyone was seated, with Alyssa being the last to walk in. She saw Jefferson get up from his desk and she jogged to her desk, taking out her headphones. 

“Well. Nice to see everyone on time for a change.” Jefferson smiled, making a concerted effort to side-eye Hayden.

“Oh come on, it was one time!” Hayden cried. 

“I know!” Jefferson laughed. “I’m only joking.”

Hayden laughed and rolled his eyes. “Sure thing, Jeffo.”

Jefferson rolled his eyes in return. “I get that you’re all cool Hayden, but stick to Mr. Jefferson for now, please? Thank you.”

Hayden blinked in shock, then quickly flipped back to his normal relaxed expression.

“Okay! Without further ado, let’s begin today’s lesson.” Jefferson clapped his hands and stood in front of the whiteboard. “First, I must remind you that you have two weeks today to submit your photo for the Everyday Heroes contest. I need not remind you that this is a brilliant opportunity to put yourselves out there and be noticed by the rest of the world. Plus it’s a free trip to San Francisco and I know the gallery serves great food every year.” He winked. 

_ “Ugh. So not worth it.”  _ Max thought. 

“I trust that you all will have made your decision on whether or not to enter by now, so I look forward to seeing all your entries! If you don’t enter, that’s fine, you’ll have plenty of time to kickstart your career. But enough of that. Today we’re looking at Daguerreotypes, and how they paved the way for modern photography.” 

Max felt her attention drifting. After all, she had heard all of these lectures before, much to her regret. She looked out the window. The weather was wild and indecisive. Every few minutes it seemed to start and stop raining, and the wind beat at the trees fiercely, scattering the leaves around the campus. She turned back around to look at Taylor, who could hardly focus herself. Everyone else was fully attentive to the teacher. Max looked closer and saw that Taylor’s eyes were red and puffy. Victoria was sneaking the occasional glance at Taylor as well. At one point Victoria gave her a slight nod and Taylor smiled a thanks back.

_ “Hmm…” _ Max thought. She started to ponder what was wrong when she heard her name being called. Everyone turned to look at her.

“Welcome back to the real world, Miss Caulfield.” Jefferson called out, sitting at his usual spot on Daniel’s desk and staring right at her. “If you’re done staring at Taylor’s face, which I imagine must be very gorgeous to you, you can repeat what I just said.”

“I, um…” Max’s face turned red. 

Victoria laughed. 

“I’m waiting.” Jefferson prompted.

“Yeah I’m sure you are, asshole. Waiting for an opportunity to drug and kidnap your entire class of female students!” She shouted. 

Everyone gasped. Jefferson looked shocked. “W- Where on earth did that come from?” He chuckled nervously. “Someone clearly hasn’t had their morning coffee.” He chuckled. His face turned serious as he stared at Max. “Maxine Caulfield, you will see me after class.”

Max scowled and stood up. “Like hell you will.” She held out her right hand. 

Rapidly, the images of her classmates moved backwards as their movements, their memories, and their speeches were reversed. She could hear Jefferson’s laughter echo in her mind as she slowly sat back down and resumed the timeline, her attention fully on Jefferson. 

“You alright, Max? Your face is so intense.” Kate whispered.

“Hm? Oh I’m fine.” Max said, immediately turning back to Jefferson. 

“Daguerre was born in a commune in Northern France in 1851…” Jefferson was in the midst of his spiel, so Max turned back to Kate.

“By the way, are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m actually pretty good at the moment.” Kate smiled. “I am still worried about you though. Do you want to have some tea after this?”

“That would be good.” Max smiled. “We could invite Taylor too, if we can separate her from Victoria.”

Kate giggled. “That might be an idea. See why she looks so down.”

Max grinned. “It’s a plan.”

An eternity later, the bell rang. Victoria, completely ignoring Taylor’s helpless expression, got straight up and made a beeline for Jefferson. Max, resisting the urge to claw Victoria’s impressionable self away from Jefferson, sucked air through her teeth and approached Taylor.

“Hi, Taylor.” Max said awkwardly.

“Hi Taylor.” Taylor mocked Max. “If you’re here to bitch about Victoria and lecture me about my friends, beat it.” She was trying so hard to still sound tough, but her eyes looked like they were about to burst into tears.

“No, I just wanted to know how you were. You seemed pretty downcast today, and I couldn’t help but notice that Victoria actually seemed like she cared.”

“Victoria does care, for the record. And if you paid to notice, she actually cares a lot about a lot of things.” Taylor said sourly.

Kate stood next to Max and smiled at Taylor. Taylor scowled, and then sighed.

“No, seriously. Thank you for asking. Truth be told, I’m not doing great. Victoria isn’t the best person to go to when you need to vent. She just gets too upset herself, she just lets me know I have her support.”

“Fair enough.” Max replied.

“Victoria’s probably gonna be a while, so I’ll guess we’ll walk and talk.” Taylor slowly stood up, slinging her expensive handbag over her shoulder. Max couldn’t help but notice this was the first time she’d seen Taylor wear long pants. Her outfit was uncharacteristic, but in a way that suited her. A grey oversized hoodie and nice tight jeans. 

“That’s a nice outfit, Taylor.” Max pointed out.

“Oh. Thanks.” Taylor said as she looked at her hoodie. This hoodie is quite special to me.” She quickly glanced at Victoria. “We’d better go.” She walked over to Victoria. “I’ll text you later, okay?”

“Of course. Let me know if you need anything, babe.” Victoria said sweetly. She scowled at Max and Kate as they followed Taylor out of the classroom. 

“Kate and I were actually just about to meet up for some tea, did you wanna join us?” Kate asked.

Taylor turned around suddenly and blinked. “I, um, sure. Wasn’t expecting that from you, Max. But thank you. I’d love to.” As she approached her locker, she sighed deeply and opened it, putting various books inside. Max looked at the picture she had taped on the inside of her locker.

“Hey, is that-” Max asked.

“Curtis.” Taylor nodded. “My boyfriend.” She sniffed.

“I’m really sorry, Taylor.” Kate said.

“Thank you.” Taylor replied. “Today’s the 6-month anniversary. And my mom has just been admitted to hospital.”

“Oh jesus, I had no idea.” Max said sympathetically.

“Why would you? It’s not like we ever talk.” Taylor said without malice. 

“Well maybe it’s time we start.” Max affectionately touched Taylor’s arm. 

Taylor smiled. “I could really use that cup of tea.” She chuckled.

“Well, let’s not keep my kettle waiting.” Kate smiled. 

*

On the bus ride over to Kate’s house, Max and Kate listened as Taylor gushed about her late boyfriend and her mom, detailing how amazing they were. Max couldn’t help but notice that Taylor seemed a lot brighter and cheerier now. By the time they got to Kate’s house, Taylor was smiling and her face was full of colour. 

“I’m home!” Kate called out as she stepped in the front door. 

“Hi honey.” A thin but masculine voice called from a nearby room.

Kate sighed in relief. “Phew. I think that means Mom’s not home yet.” She said to Max. Max nodded. Taylor looked confused, but didn’t want to push the conversation. “Is Mom home yet?”

“No, she’s at work. She’ll be another hour or so. You are home pretty early.” Kate’s dad said.

“Classes finish early today.” Kate said simply. “I brought a couple of friends from my photography class for a cup of tea.”

“Oh, how lovely.” Kate’s dad said. “Do show them in, I’d love to meet them.”

Max and Taylor nervously walked into the living room, with Kate’s guidance. Max resisted the urge to noticeably freeze. Everything was ornate and pristine. The fireplace was massive and consisted of layers upon layers of brown bricks. Above it rested a large portrait of Jesus Christ, with two crosses on either side. The walls were made of a dark brown wood. The lighting was very dim and cold. If it weren’t for Kate’s father’s warm smile, the whole place would feel cold and uninviting. Max shivered.  _ “It feels equal and opposite to the Dark Room…”  _ Max felt awful that something so lovely as Kate’s home could remind her of that. 

  
“Good afternoon. How blessed it is to have friends of Kate in our home on this fine day.” Kate’s dad said, standing up from his armchair to greet them. Both Taylor and Max were visibly uncomfortable. Thankfully, Father Marsh didn’t seem to notice.

“Uh…” Max mumbled first, looking at Taylor, who looked back at her, just as nervous. “It’s very nice to meet you, Father Marsh.”

Father Marsh chuckled. “Please. I’m not hosting a service in my own household, you can call me Richard.”

Max swallowed. “It’s very nice to meet you, Richard.” She said, clutching the straps of her handbag.”

“Uh, yeah.” Taylor said. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

“I’m sure my friends would love to stay and chat with you,” Kate butted in politely. “But we have to go over some work from today, and we want some privacy.”

“Of course, my sweet daughter.” Richard Marsh smiled. “After all, I’d prefer it if the house was clean by the time your mother gets home. I’ll go put the kettle on, shall I?”

“Oh, dad, you don’t need to-”

“No, I insist!” He smiled. “You just make yourself comfortable.” He walked over to the kitchen, leaving the three girls alone. Kate grimaced.

“I know he can be a little overbearing.” Kate said.

“No, no, he’s really lovely.” Max said hurriedly. “I appreciate his hospitality. Right, Taylor?”

Taylor blinked like she’d awoken from a trance. “Ah- yes. Me too. He seems nice.” Taylor sat down on the couch and rubbed her eyes.

“You okay?” Max asked, sitting next to her. 

  
“Yeah. Just a little tired.” She looked up at Kate. “No offense, but your house is kinda weird.” 

Kate looked around. “I guess it kinda is.” She chuckled. “If Blackwell has taught me anything, it’s that my family is weird.”

Max shrugged. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing. We’re all a little bit weird, deep down.”

Kate sat down on a chair next to Max and Taylor. “Yeah. You’re right. Oh!” She stood up again. “Do either of you want some cookies?”

Taylor sighed. “That would be great.”

Max placed an affectionate hand on Taylor’s shoulder and rubbed her back. “You sure you’re feeling alright?”

“Yeah. Thanks for looking out for me. Although this isn’t entirely how I expected my afternoon to plan out, but it's not all bad.” She looked at Max. “Max, don’t ever let Victoria hear this, but you’re honestly one of the coolest people at Blackwell. I feel that, and I know Victoria does too.”

“I know for a fact how Victoria feels about me.” Max sighed. “I know I shouldn’t be so mean to her, cause I know deep down she’s just terrified and insecure, just like all of us.”

“Victoria’s really cool. She’s a good person, once you get to know her.” Taylor replied. “She was there for Nathan when all that shit went down, and she’s here for me.”

“Yeha, I know. I just wish she wasn’t so mean all the time. Like I get why she’s insecure, but she shouldn’t be, and she shouldn’t take those insecurities out on other people.”

“Believe me, I’m starting to get sick of it too. At first I thought it was funny, but then I realised, Victoria is just that jealous and hateful.” Taylor sighed. “The day after you and Rachel pulled us off Kate, I tried to talk to her about it. Kate was just so nice in the face of adversity, I was starting to wonder what Victoria even got out of it. But my timing must have been super bad, cause, you know, Victoria can’t stand Rachel Amber.” She looked at Max. “Not to mention you lit her up pretty good. Dick move on your part, by the way.” 

Max sighed. “I know. What did she say?”

“She threatened to get me kicked out of the Vortex Club. And she can do that, considering she’s practically the President with Nathan out of commission.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“Yeah. When Victoria gets her rage on, there’s no talking sense into her.” Taylor huffed. 

Kate smiled as she returned with a mug of tea and a plate of cookies. “You guys ragging on about Victoria? Not in my good Christian household, thank you.”\

“Sorry, Kate.” Max chuckled. “Besides, we still have yet to finish talking about how awesome Curtis was.”

Taylor smiled. “Max, how the hell do you always know the right thing to say?”

“Hey, language.” Kate said, sipping her tea. “By the way, how do you have your tea, Taylor? Max and I have it the same.”

“Oh, I don’t know, guess I’ll just have it the same as you guys, then.” Taylor shrugged. “I’m not much of a tea drinker.”

“Alcohol’s more your style?” Max said smugly.

“Oh f- uh… buzz off.” Taylor replied, causing Max and Kate to laugh. 

“Here you are.” Richard Marsh returned, with a platter containing two cups with matching saucers, a cup of sugar cubes and a small jug of milk.

“Dad!” Kate cried. “Did you really use Mom’s expensive tea set?”

“We have special guests.” Richard Marsh replied simply.

Kate laughed. “You try too hard, Dad.”

“Sweetie, from what your report cards are telling us, you are the one who’s trying too hard. Keep up the good work, honey.” Richard Marsh kissed Kate’s forehead, then went back to his armchair, reading his Bible.

“Aw, that’s so sweet.” Max said. Kate blushed and said nothing. Max turned back to Taylor. “To answer your question from earlier, I guess I just kinda know.”

“You just ‘know’?” Taylor scoffed. “Everything you say almost sounds rehearsed. And I don’t mean that in a bad way, I just mean you always think about what you’re gonna say.”

“As today’s class proves, that’s not true at all.”

“Well, no, I mean-” Taylor sighed. “It’s like you might spit at Victoria in such a way that she actually shuts up, then you ask me if I’m doing okay. It’s bizarre. You’re so scarily on point with how others are feeling and how to respond to them.” 

Max shrugged. “Just lucky, I guess.”

“Consistently?” Taylor asked.

“Can we change the subject? I liked hearing about Curtis.” Max said nervously, sipping her tea and munching on a cookie.

“I’m sorry to push you further Max, but this past month you’ve been acting so… strangely. Especially on your birthday. And today was no exception.” Kate said. 

Max looked back and forth between Kate and Taylor.  _ “Am I really gonna tell Kate now, while Taylor is in the room with me? What will they think? _ ”

“I’m sorry Max. You seem stressed.” Taylor said. “I’m probably just overthinking it. Hey, can I use your bathroom real quick?”

“Sure thing!” Kate replied. “Just down the hall we came in and to your left.”

“Thanks so much!” Taylor got up and walked out of the living room.

“I can imagine whatever’s going on can’t involve Taylor, right?” Kate said, looking very serious. “It’s been plaguing your mind ever since I met you. I can tell. It must be serious.”

“Okay- fine. Yes.” Max sighed. “I did tell Warren the other day, it’s only fair I tell you.”

“You told Warren?” Kate pondered for a couple seconds. “That would explain why he was acting so weird yesterday.”

“Yeah. But there’s a reason I held off from telling you specifically for so long. And not a word of this to Taylor, or anyone else. I don’t want this spreading.”

“I would never do that to you, Max. You have my word.” Kate nodded.

“Okay. Come sit next to me on the couch.” Max said. Kate obliged. Max kept her voice low so Richard couldn’t hear. “I don’t know how I can explain this in a way that convinces you, or makes me sound like a witch of some kind.”

Kate chuckled. “Okay, Max.”

“Hold on to my shoulder.” Max ordered. “Now, concentrate as hard as you can on where you are right now.”

“Okay…” Kate said as she obeyed. 

Max breathed in and out. “Now watch the sugar cube.” Max said as she held up a sugar cube. 

“Okay I’m watching it.”

Max threw it up in the air. As it fell, she held out her right hand, stopping it in mid-air.

“What on earth…?” Kate breathed. She looked around. “I can’t hear the grandfather clock…” She looked over at her father, who was completely still. “Did you just... stop time?” She cried.

“Not really.” Max said. “Keep watching, and whatever you do, don’t let go. It’ll probably hurt like a bitch.” Kate nodded. Max slowly let the cube rise up into the air, before letting time resume and catching the sugar cube. “Okay you can let go now.”

Kate tentatively let go. “What did you do?”

“I can reverse time.” Max said simply. “Crazy as it sounds, it’s true. And right now, I need your help more than ever.”

“What… what happened? How did this happen?”

“I don’t know exactly. The story is very long and complicated.”

“Well if you’re telling the truth then I guess we have all the time in the world.”

“Heh. I suppose we do.”

“How many other people know about this?”

“Just Chloe and Rachel. And Warren, obviously.”

“Okay, that makes sense.” Kate replied. “So, that explains what Taylor was saying earlier - about how you always seem to know what to say. You can just keep rewinding until you get it right.”

“I haven’t done that for a long time. I just know everyone too well now.”

“But how? You’ve only known us for less than a month.”

Max looked at her.

“Unless, of course, you’ve known us for longer…” Kate trailed off. “My brain is already muddled. Start from the beginning, maybe that’ll clear things up.”

“There’s a reason why I’m so weird around Jefferson and Victoria, and unfortunately it involves you.”

“Me? And why do you keep calling him ‘Jefferson’, and not Mr. Jefferson?”

“Like I said, there’s a reason I held off from telling you. I’ll explain:”

Max didn’t go into as much detail relaying her story to Kate as much as she did with Warren. A couple times, Richard would interrupt, and Max would have to rewind. Max mostly focused on Jefferson and Kate’s downward spiral, as well as her current situation with Carlos Merrick.

“And it all started, with a tornado vision? How?” Kate asked. 

“I don’t know. But that’s the least of our concern right now. Jefferson will be after you soon and we have to stop him before he does.” Max gripped Kate’s hand. “I understand you’re going to need some time to process this. Let me know if there’s anything you need.” 

Kate’s face was white. “Of course.” She shook her head. “I still can’t believe that happened - or will happen. And you witnessed the whole thing! How did you get through it?”

“With my friends by my side, Kate.” Max smiled and hugged Kate.

“I’m so sorry, Max.”

“Thank you.”

“Woah, are you guys okay?” Taylor said as she walked back in. “And I thought I was bad.”

“Yeah, Kate’s just not feeling well, so I was just on my way out.” Max quickly lied.

“Aw, really? I haven’t even finished my tea yet.” Taylor replied. “Well, thanks for having me. It was kinda fun, in a weird way.”

“Pleasure is all mine.” Kate smiled. “We should do this more often.” She looked over at her dad, who was fully engrossed in the Bible he was reading. “Just… maybe not at my parents’ house.”

“Fair call, Katie.” Taylor said. “Hey, are you guys going to the vortex club party in a couple weeks? I could call Courtney and we could have a cool makeover session before then.” She smiled.

Kate and Max looked at each other. Kate’s face dropped in sadness and fear. Max looked awkwardly back at Taylor.

“It’s not really our style…” Max said.

“Of course. I knew that.” Taylor said hurriedly. “Just a thought.”

“No, but-” Max spluttered. “I’m game. It could be fun. Plus, I know for sure Rachel will be going, so at least I have someone cool to hang with.”

“Oh My God, we get it!” Taylor said jokingly, rolling her eyes. “But that’s great!” Taylor clapped her hands together excitedly. “Walk with me and we’ll discuss outfit plans.”

“Hold up, let me check my phone…” Max said, pulling out her cellphone. “Ah, okay. Chloe wants to know where I am and she’s offering to pick me up.”

“Chloe Price?” Taylor asked, her voice much lower than before.

“Yes, Taylor, my best friend and girlfriend.” Max said sarcastically. “No other Chloe I can think of.”

“Right.” Taylor said. “Well uh… tell her I said hi.”

“Sure.” Max said. “I’ll walk with you out the door. How far away are you?”

“I can just text my dad. No big deal.” Taylor shrugged. 

“See you later, Kate. We’ll talk soon.” Max leant down and hugged Kate.

“Yeah. For sure. Anything I can do to help, just let me know.”

Max smiled. “Of course.” Max stood back up and walked over to Taylor. “Right with you.”

“Okay, so: What colour do you like?” Taylor asked as she opened the front door, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

“Um…” Max trailed off. “I never really gave it that much thought.”

“No offense, but I can tell.” Taylor giggled, pointing to Max’s dull-gray hoodie and regular blue jeans.

  
“Hey, screw you!” Max giggled back. “I like my hoodie and jeans.”

“No, I know. Honestly you rock that look. It’s so simple and nice. It doesn’t draw too much attention.”

“Well, that’s me.”

“Actually, I think you like to make yourself known. Like you give off this vibe of ‘I may look pretty and shy but don’t fuck with me or I will end you’ type feel.”

“Really?” Max asked. 

“Yeah, it’s fucking rocks.” Taylor replied. She looked at her phone. “My dad said he’ll be about 20 minutes. Lucky it’s not too cold out here.”

“Chloe will be here pretty soon. She must have just finished work so she’ll be driving from the diner.”

“In that glorious truck of hers.” Taylor giggled. “God, not to be catty, but she looks like she found that in a dump.”

Max laughed. “She DID find it in a dump.”

“No fucking way, really?”

“Yeah! And like a beast she tore it all apart, put some parts in from other cars and bam! Good as new.” Max said. “Well, maybe not as  _ new _ , but you get what I mean.”

“God, that’s impressive.” Taylor’s face dropped and she suddenly looked serious. “Look, Max. I had a lot of fun today. Thank you.”

“No problem.” Max smiled. “Listen, anytime you need to get away from Victoria, let me know. Ah- I’m joking. Of course.”

“Heh, yeah. But according to what you were saying, it seems like it’s Victoria that needs to stay away. From Mr. Jefferson.”

Max’s face turned white. “What? What do you mean?”

“I heard it all, Max. Every single word.” 

Max was stunned. “But how?”

“I don’t think the Marsh’s have very thick walls.” Taylor replied. “I heard Kate cry about you being able to rewind time, and of course that piqued my interest.”

“Jesus, Taylor, I- I’m sorry you had to hear all that.”

“You’re sorry? You had to live through all of that. That must have been hell on Earth.”

Max shuddered and said nothing. 

“I can’t even begin to imagine how to help you in this situation. For God’s sake you’re hiding from a fucking drug dealer and having to be taught by a creepy pedo weirdo!”

“I don’t want you breathing a word of this to anyone, got it? Especially Victoria.”

“Victoria? Ah- of course. You have my word.”

“Good. At the very least, just look out for Victoria. She’s desperate for Jefferson’s attention, and that’s something he will take advantage of.”

“And what about Kate? And yourself, for that matter.” 

“Don’t worry about me. I have people I can rely on. As for Kate, we’re already watching out for her.”

“God, Max. I just feel so awful. I can’t believe I almost made Kate-” She shook her head. “I can’t even say it.”

“Don’t worry. You and Victoria made it up to her. Besides, not only has it not happened yet, but it wasn’t your fault. It was Nathan and Jefferson’s fault.”

“God. I can’t believe I was ever friends with that Prescott freak.”

“Nathan was bad, yes, but Jefferson groomed him. Jefferson was so eager to tell me that he had murdered Nathan in the previous timeline.”

“He- He did?” Taylor looked shocked. “Why?”

“Easy scapegoat. The whole time Jefferson was monologuing, he held Nathan responsible for everything. Even Chloe’s death.”

“What are you gonna do?”

“Don’t worry. We have a plan. Right now we gotta focus on not getting kidnapped or murdered by this crazy, vengeful drug dealer.”

“Godspeed, friend.” Taylor sighed.

“Thanks.” Max looked up. “There’s Chloe’s truck. I’ll see you tomorrow, Taylor.”

“Yeah. See ya.” 

Chloe stopped the truck in the middle of the road and Max got in.

“Since when do you hang around with her?” Chloe asked. 

“She had a shit day, and we wanted to make her feel better.”

“Looks like you didn’t do that good of a job.”

Max sighed. “Let’s just say she’s as good of an eavesdropper as I am.”

“Wait, so she knows about your power?”

Max nodded. “As does Kate. I figured Kate should know by now what’s going on. It was just unfortunate that Taylor could hear us from the bathroom.”

“As usual, Caulfield, your timing is impeccable.”

“I’m desperate to get home. I wanna just fucking lie down. And maybe cuddle my girlfriends.”

“Your wish has been granted.” Chloe quickly leaned over and kissed Max. “Rachel’s at home getting dinner ready. She has to head out early.”

“Have I ever told you how much I love you both?”

“Hmm…” Chloe pretended to think. “Not often enough.”

“Well, in that case, I love you two so fucking much. Now let’s get home, I’m fucking tired as shit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're one chapter of 100k words... I'm so excited y'all thanks for sticking with me for this long


	29. Leos Don’t Look Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel is having a crisis. Chloe brings an old memory back to cheer her up.

It was a cold and windy day at Blackwell, but Rachel didn’t care. She sat on the wall near the parking lot, her legs swinging over the side. She was supposed to be having her english class right now, but she didn’t feel like going. 

“Max would be disappointed…” She thought aloud. She chuckled. “Least of my worries right now.” She sighed.

Truth be told, she was terrified.

Her life had suddenly gotten a lot scarier, even more so than the last time her life was in danger. Her audition was next week, the horrific week Max described was less than a fortnight away, and there was a crazed kid brother of a sadistic drug dealer after her. She huffed. It would be easier if she were back in the hospital bed, her arm wrapped up and her mind delirious from the anesthetic and the loss of blood; Chloe by her side, holding her hand. She cursed. Everyone was so worried about her, and Merrick’s plan to ‘draw her out.’ No-one else seemed to care that was  _ her fucking mother  _ that Merrick was after. Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw a familiar beanie bobbing along the path, walking towards her. The weather may have been overcast, but enough sun shone through the cracks in the clouds to perfectly shroud the figure. As they walked closer, they waved and called out to Rachel.

“Rachel!” She cried as she quickened her pace.

“Steph!” Rachel replied. “Come join me!” 

Steph jogged up to the wall and hoisted herself up to sit next to Rachel. “It’s been so long! How are you?”

“I’m alright. Pretty shit, but could be worse. What about you? What brings you back to Blackhell?”

“You’re not gonna believe this, but I was feeling  _ nostalgic. _ ”

_ “ _ For Blackwell?”

Steph chuckled. “It makes sense that I’d run into you. I was just thinking about you.”

“Really?” Rachel tilted her head. 

Steph blushed and parted her hair behind her ear. “Well, you know, you were one of the few good things at Blackwell, so…”

Rachel giggled. “Ok, sweetheart. Did Chloe tell you the North brothers are back in town?”

“No? That’s wild!” Steph’s face lit up. “I need to meet up with them first chance I get! Have a tabletop sesh. Get you, Chloe and Max along too. It’d be fun!” 

“It’s not really my thing… Plus we’re like uber busy at the moment.” Rachel sighed. 

“Busy? Or depressed?” Steph smirked. “Either way, that’s totally cool. I can’t force you guys to like DnD. Although Chloe had fun the last time we played it.”

“When was that?” Rachel asked quizzically. 

“Ah, when Mikey was hospitalised. She was reluctant, still going through her ‘too cool for school’ phase. But she was good.” 

Rachel nodded. “I’d wish we had the time or energy for a tabletop session. At this point I don’t even think Mikey would be up to it.”

“What do you mean?”

“You remember why Mikey and I were hospitalised, right?”

“Yeah, some crazy drug dealer went ape-shit on you both.” Steph replied.

“You remember Frank Bowers?”

“Yeah of course! I bought weed from him like, all the time. That is until he suddenly jumped ship.”

Rachel nodded. “Well, Frank killed that motherfucker. That’s why he jumped ship. That and because I asked him too.” 

“What the fuck?” Steph cried. “Jesus Christ.”

“And, with opportune timing, his younger brother is back for revenge.” Rachel said. “Bastard beat the shit out of Frank’s dog, then stole his account. He’s after my mother.”

“Holy shit. I’m so sorry.” Steph coughed. “For you and Frank.” She put a sympathetic hand on Rachel’s shoulder. Rachel sighed and leaned her head on Steph’s shoulder. “I don’t want Chloe and Max to know this, but I’m so fucking scared. My dad is involved now too and I don’t wanna have to go back to him.”

“This is... a tricky situation.”

“Yeah.” Rachel chuckled. “You got that right. It doesn’t even seem like anybody’s even doing anything. My dad’s supposed to have a team after him and I’m hearing nothing. Frank’s not saying anything, and Chloe and Max are treating me like I’m made of glass. No-one even remotely cares about my own mother!” She stood up and jumped down angrily. Steph remained where she was. Rachel kicked the wall angrily. She saw a bicycle locked up on the rack and made a beeline for it. Steph quickly grabbed her. 

“Hey now, the bike didn’t do anything.” Steph said soothingly.

Rachel whipped around, fuming at Steph. Steph looked scared for a brief moment, so Rachel softened her stance and expression. “Sorry, Steph. I’m just a little ticked off right now.”

“A little? Are you kidding?” Steph said softly. “I understand how difficult your situation is. Have you tried like, actually talking to Max and Chloe?”

Rachel looked at Steph. “They won’t listen.”

“Right, sure.” Steph replied. “You should count yourself lucky-“

“Lucky!? I’m being hunted down by a guy who punches dogs!” Rachel screamed. 

“No! I mean-“ Steph sighed. “You have the two most banging girls in the whole of Arcadia as your girlfriends. Show them some of that Rachel Amber love and honesty, even if you have to put a bit of a dramatic flair on it. You are the star actress of Blackwell after all.”

Rachel sniffed. “You’re right, Steph. I’m overthinking this too much. I just need to get Chloe a beer and Max a cup of tea or whatever bitch drink she drinks and talk to them.”

“Call tea a bitch drink again, and you can add me to the list of people hunting you.” Steph smiled. 

Rachel chuckled. “And here I thought I was the aristocrat.” 

“Ooh you have disrespected me for the last time, Amber.” Steph said jokingly. 

“Shut up, you love me.” Rachel smirked. 

Steph raised an eyebrow. “You got me there. Now, apart from all this insane bullshit, is there anything else going on in your life?”

Rachel frowned. “Whole lotta insane bullshit. You’re narrowing it down too hard.” She sighed. “I suppose the most ‘normal’ issue I have at this point is being worried about my audition.”

“Pssh, Keaton will take you. He always does.”

“Oh yeah for sure. But that’s not the audition I’m worried about. It’s for a main role in this ad campaign on date-rape, focusing on how to look out for each other and shit.”

“Well fuck.” Steph replied. “That’s some intense shit.” 

“Yeah. I’m hoping it goes well. Kinda wish they weren’t more for the ‘hey shitheads, don’t drug and rape women’ angle, but I guess it’s important for people to know how to look out for each other.”

“You think the Blackwell Bros will respond well to that?”

“Oh they’ll object regardless. I swear every time I see Logan he’s hitting on me or some other new girl. Poor Dana.” 

“Dana’s still with that guy?” Steph asked quizzically. 

“Not anymore.” Rachel shrugged. “It was on and off for a while. Now the word on the street is he banged her up without protection and bailed.” 

“Jesus. Glad I left this shithole.”

“Some of us aren’t so lucky.” Rachel rolled her eyes. 

“You know, you could run away if you could.”

“Believe me, I’ve tried.”

“Well, you were 16. You could try again.”

“Where would I go, Steph?” Rachel asked. “There’s one insidious thing about this town. Everything I love is here, but so is everything I hate.”

“There’s so much more to love in this world, Rach.”

“Answer me honestly, Steph. Are you only telling me to run away because you didn’t have that opportunity?”

  
Steph looked down and said nothing. 

“I wouldn’t blame you.” Rachel continued. “Mikey and Drew got away, and they were among the people you most cared about. It’s not fair.” Rachel sighed. “I’m just worried if I run away, one of two things will happen: I’ll make it big in Hollywood and forget Arcadia Bay even existed, or I’ll end up dead in a ditch somewhere where no-one will ever find my body.”

“Jesus Christ, Rachel.” Steph breathed. “That’s awfully dark.”

Rachel shuddered. She couldn’t tell Steph that that fear had actually been realised already, in some strange timeline her girlfriend had escaped from. If that had come to fruition in this reality, Rachel would have been dead for over 5 months. Looking at her situation now, from her perspective, fate didn’t seem to like being foiled. “Sorry. I should head to my next class. It was really nice talking to you, though!” Rachel smiled.

Steph smiled back. “Yeah. Glad I could catch up. I’ll give Mikey a ring tonight. Stay safe, babe. I’ll see you later.” Steph jumped down and walked off.

“See ya.” Rachel shouted, then shivered. “Alright. I’ll head inside.” She scowled at the sky, cursing the cold weather. The campus was eerily quiet. With the cold wind and the hint of rain, she suspected no-one would want to be outside. Still, the emptiness bothered her. No-one was sitting on the fountain, contemplating life. Samantha was not at the base of a tree, her nose in a book. Evan was not sitting at a table, sorting his portfolio. For the first time since she ran away with Chloe, Rachel felt free from the school’s bounds. Back then she felt happy and rebellious, now she felt like no-one cared. She existed outside of time and space. An anomaly. 

“I’m not meant to be alive…” She breathed out loud. She stopped at the base of the stairs just outside the school building and looked up. Blackwell seemed huge from this angle. Rachel had never stopped to appreciate it before. She shook her head. She walked inside and made a beeline for the bathroom. “Cool. No-one’s in here.” She said out loud. “Now no-one can see me have my meltdown.” She wished she had Chloe’s oversized black marker so she could tag the bathroom. Some of Chloe’s handiwork was still strewn around the bathroom. Badly-aged illuminati symbols and crazy teenage angst. Rachel smirked when she saw a quote that looked a lot newer than the rest:

_ “Be a dyke. It’s easier.”  _

“Is it, though?” Rachel sighed. She knew her situation was more complicated than simple love life issues, and that this small tag, which Rachel was sure Chloe had made, wasn’t accounting for that. Rachel turned on the sink and splashed her face with cold water. “Woo.” She breathed. She heard the door open and tensed. 

“Oh. Hey. Sorry. I was hoping no-one was in here.” Taylor Christensen said. 

“That’s okay.” Rachel smiled. “I was just on my way out.” 

“No, actually, it’s probably good that you’re here.” Taylor sighed.

“What so you can practice your pathetic giggling on me before Victoria shows up to berate me?”

“Jesus Christ, Rachel! No!” Taylor said, shocked. “Look, I don’t like the way Victoria treats you. She’s not even here anyway, so let’s just drop it. I want some humanity from us just this once.”

“She’s not at Blackwell? Where is she?”

Taylor sighed. “She’s at the hospital. Nathan had a pretty major meltdown, so she’s there looking after him.”

“Jesus. I didn’t know.”

“You see, Rachel? Victoria actually has a heart. No-one else seems to care about Nathan. It’s good that he has her.”

Rachel turned back to the sink. She could feel bits of her mascara running. “Shit.” She mumbled. She quickly dried her face. “Sorry. You do remember that Victoria tried to drug me the night of the Tempest, right?”

“That was three years ago! Are you seriously still hung up on that?” Taylor cried. 

“No it’s-” Rachel sighed. “It’s a lot of things. I can’t really explain.” 

Taylor looked sad for a moment. “Listen, I know the things Victoria is capable of. She’s not evil, she’s just jealous.”

Rachel shrugged. She didn’t have the energy to respond. 

“Anyway. Let’s drop it. Are you alright? You look like how I feel, except with better makeup.”

Rachel chuckled. “There’s just… a lot going on. Can’t really explain.”

“Yeah, I feel that.”

_ “You have no idea.”  _ Rachel thought to herself.

Taylor looked at her and pursed her lips. “Yesterday was just… such a weird day. I’ve never been away from Victoria for this long. Which is kinda sad, but it’s put a lot of things into perspective.”

“Like what?”

“Like how you and Max are in deep shit?”

Rachel’s eyes widened. “You know about that?”

“Everything.” Taylor nodded. “It’s part of why I feel so weird. Max didn’t tell me intentionally, I just overhead. By accident.” She said hurriedly. “Typical Max. Tries to cheer me up because she saw I felt like shit and then pulled a full 180 on me. One she couldn’t rewind.”

“Rewind?” Rachel asked rhetorically. “Shit. You must have heard everything.”

“Including the part where Victoria and I almost bullied Kate Marsh to suicide, yes. I’ll tell you that wasn’t particularly easy to hear.”

“So you know about Jefferson? And Nathan?”

“Yes. It’s why I’m glad Nathan is in a psych ward. Poor Victoria. She walked in on him with a gun and-”

“A GUN!?” Rachel cried.

“Yeah. If Victoria didn’t come in two seconds later Nathan would have been dead.” Taylor sighed. “The point is, if I was trying to make a point, there’s so much going on in Arcadia Bay that no-one knows about. Or stops to even think about. How many people look at Joyce from the Two Whales Diner and remember what she went through? How many people look at the homeless woman who lives next to the diner and think about how she probably got screwed over? How many people see a cranky old trucker and think about how he has to get all the way across the country by the end of the week? How many people look at me and think about the girl who lost her boyfriend while he was on duty for the fire department, and whose mom needs life-saving surgery?” She looked Rachel dead in the eyes. “How many people see Rachel Amber and not think she’s Little Miss Perfect, a girl who can do anything she wants and has anything at her disposal, handed to her on a silver plate? No-one would ever guess she’s currently hiding from a murderous drug dealer and is dating a girl with time powers.”

“How many people look at Mark Jefferson and realise how much of a creepy, psychopathic pedophile he is?” Rachel added.

“Uh, no-one, apparently.” Taylor scoffed. “Did you guess? I sure didn’t. He’s just so handsome and charming, and he was such a good teacher. Now I can’t bear to look at the guy.”

“Just be glad you weren’t there.” Rachel sighed. “Poor Max…”

“Wait, did she-”

Rachel nodded. “Max is the only reason I’m still alive.” She sniffed.

“Holy crap. She didn’t mention that. She was only talking about Kate. Mostly because she was talking  _ to  _ Kate, but yeah.”

“God, Kate…” Rachel sighed. “Max brought herself back here from  _ hell. _ She’s ensuring that no-one ever gets hurt again.”

“So wait, you said Max saved your life?” 

“I was originally a missing person’s poster. Dated back from 5 months ago. Max said she and Chloe found me, buried in the junkyard after being overdosed by Nathan.”

“Holy shit.” Taylor breathed. 

“This is a bit of an intense conversation, isn’t it?” Rachel laughed. 

“Well, we are in a bathroom.”

“The bathroom. It always starts in a bathroom.” Rachel sighed. “I’d better get to class. It was nice talking to you, Taylor. I hope everything goes well for your mom.” 

“Me too. I hope everything goes well for you, too.” Taylor turned around, then stopped. She walked back up to Rachel and hugged her.

“Woah! Okay. Was not expecting that.” Rachel said, but slowly returned the hug.

“Stay safe.” Taylor said simply. She let go, then turned around and left the bathroom.

*

That afternoon, when Rachel got back to the apartment, she still felt conflicted. Max’s photography class stretched late into the afternoon and Chloe was still at work, so she took the bus home by herself. She walked into the apartment and sighed. The place was a mess. 

“It’s like the whole world is against me today. Everything is crashing down around me.” Rachel badly wanted a cup of tea, but she didn’t feel like making it. She mustered the energy to walk to her bedroom and collapse on her bed. 

Some time later, she heard the front door open, and the cheery laughs of her girlfriends echoed through the apartment.

“Rachel?” Chloe asked. Rachel gave no response. She heard a knock on the bedroom door. “Rachel, you in there?”

Rachel moaned.

“Oh christ.” Chloe muttered. She opened the door and walked in. “You okay?”

“No. Not really. I don’t wanna talk right now.” Rachel said. She turned her body so she was facing the opposite wall. 

“That’s okay. Get some rest. Max and I are gonna make a pot roast tonight. We’ll let you know when it’s ready.”

Rachel sniffed. “Thanks Chloe.”

Chloe closed the door.

Rachel sobbed. “This sucks. I hate my life.” She curled up into the fetal position and hugged her knees. After a day’s worth of tears, she fell asleep. 

*

When Rachel awoke, the room was dark, but there was a familiar glow on the ceiling. Rachel rolled over and looked up.

“Wow… Chloe…” She breathed. 

The ceiling was lit up with a million stars, a blue and purple nebula. Rachel sat up and saw the large, high-powered torch resting on a chair at the end of the bed. 

“CHLOE!” Rachel yelled. 

Chloe came running into the bedroom. “What is it? What’s wrong.”

Rachel scowled. “You mad bitch! You kept this for three years?”

“Well, yeah.” Chloe shrugged. “I figured I might need it someday. It just makes sense.”

Rachel started crying. “Chloe I-” She sniffed. “Thank you. This is really beautiful.”

Chloe shut the door. “Good. I’m glad. You seemed upset and I figured I’d cheer you up.” 

Rachel motioned Chloe to sit next to her. “Do you remember three years ago? When you were in my room? When you first made this?”

“Of course. How could I forget?”

“I’ve never forgotten. It was the most beautiful thing ever. Never in my life had someone paid so much attention to me to know exactly what to do.”

“I’ll admit, it was a lot of trial and error.”

“Chloe, my love. You knew that I loved the stars. So you figured out a way to make them shine in my bedroom. And it was beautiful.”

“It’s cause I loved you, idiot. And I love you now.”

“Don’t be so off-handed. You mean the absolute world to me, and I’m so glad to have you in my life. I’m so glad that we can exist in this moment, the stars shining above us.” 

Chloe leaned in and kissed Rachel on the cheek. She climbed onto the bed and grasped Rachel’s hand. “Things have been pretty tough lately. I know why you’re upset. We’re not paying enough attention to you, you feel like we’re not listening to you cause we’re too busy coddling you. I know you are capable of looking after yourself. You’ve hella saved my life more times than I can count. And everything that’s going on is simply not fair. I’m sorry.”

“Chloe…” Rachel sobbed.

Chloe rubbed Rachel’s hand with her thumb. “Shh… It’s okay. I’m here now.” She whispered softly.

Rachel sniffed. “Where’s Max?”

“She’s in the living room, practising the guitar. Do you want me to get her?”

“No, please stay. Just message her.” 

Chloe nodded. “Of course.” Chloe quickly tapped a message on her cellphone and waited. A minute later, Max walked in, guitar still in hand.

“Hey Rachel.” Max said quietly. 

“Max.” Rachel smiled sweetly.

“Come join us. We’re gonna have a hardcore threesome to cheer Rachel up.” Chloe smirked.

“Shut up!” Rachel giggled and slapped her with a pillow.

“Oh now you asked for it!” Chloe cried as she grabbed the other pillow and proceeded to smack Rachel so hard she almost fell off the bed.

Max giggled. “You two are priceless. No pun intended.”

“Come on, hippie!” Chloe laughed.

“Alright. You asked for it.” Max giggled. She carefully placed the guitar against the wall and dived onto the bed. Instead of reaching for a pillow, she aimed straight for Chloe and Rachel’s face and planted several kisses on each of them. Satisfied, she sat back and admired her handiwork.

“No fair, Caulfield!” Chloe giggled. Her face flushed bright red as she lay down on the bed. “You genuinely caught me off guard with that one.”

“Me too.” Rachel breathed. 

“My sneak attack. The power of sappho.” Max laughed. 

“Welp, now you ruined it by being a nerd.” Chloe sighed.

Max giggled. “Is that not why you’re dating me, miss ‘nerds are hot’?”

  
“I never once said that, excuse you.” Chloe cried. “I mean, it’s true. Look at you two for instance.” Chloe got off the bed and stood up.

“I’m not a nerd!” Rachel cried in shock. 

“You’re a theatre kid. That’s much worse.”

“Screw you!” 

“I’d love that, but unfortunately I have to check on the roast. Save the sexy times for later.”

“Looking forward to it.” Max said dryly. 

Chloe winked as she left. 

Max’s voice suddenly turned serious. “So. Are you alright? Chloe said you had something on your mind.” She crawled behind Rachel and wrapped her legs around either side of Rachel’s body. 

Rachel felt a shiver run up her spine. She slowly slid downwards and rested her head in Max’s lap. “Shit just happened today. I ran into Steph.”

“Oh cool! How is she?” 

“Contemplative. She was tryna be helpful, but you know how I get when I’m in a shitty mood.” Rachel sighed. “I told her about what was going on, and she was cool. She was mostly just worried about me, as everyone else is.”

“Well, of course we’re worried.” Max said, absent-mindedly playing with Rachel’s hair. 

“Well, that’s exactly my problem. You guys worry too much about me, when right now I’m not being the same one directly targeted. I haven’t heard anything from Frank or my dad. At this point I don’t even know if my mother is still alive.”

“Shit, Rachel. I’m sorry.”

Rachel shivered. “Thank you. I just, she’s very important to me. And for the life of me I cannot figure out why people just don’t seem to care. God I haven’t seen her in about 3 years. I just want to see her again.” 

Max stroked Rachel’s face. “I know. We will. Chloe still has Frank’s contact details, right? We can talk to him. He’ll listen to you.” 

Rachel nodded. She took a deep, shaky breath. “I also ran into Taylor. In the school bathroom, of all places.”

“Uh huh…”

“She said she knew everything. It was weird. For once she just seemed… human. She told me Victoria is looking after Nathan at the hospital.”

“Shit. Hope he’s alright.”

“I won’t go into details. I hope so too. It was just… Taylor was so nice and understanding.”

“She can be. I’ve seen it.” 

“She told me the shit she was going through, and I told her the shit I was going through, then she hugged me and told me to stay safe. Odd therapy session in the Blackwell girl’s bathroom.”

“Believe me, stranger things have happened in that bathroom.”

“As you well know.”

“Don’t remind me.” Max shuddered. “Anyway.” Max leant down and kissed Rachel’s forehead. “Dinner’s ready.” Max got off the bed and stood up. “Chloe’s done such a mean job of this roast.”

Rachel breathed in deeply. “It smells amazing.” 

“Afterwards, Chloe and I are gonna play some video games. If you wanna join.”

“Since when am I dating gamers? I want out.” Rachel said jokingly. 

“You Will Play Ratchet And Clank And You Will Enjoy It.” Max smiled and winked. “Come on, sweetheart.” Max grabbed Rachel’s hand and led her out of the bedroom. 

“There you are!” Chloe beamed. “I’ve just set the table.”

“I’ll quickly whip up some gravy.” Max said. She kissed Rachel’s cheek and walked into the kitchen. Rachel smiled and sat down at the table. 

“You feeling better?” Chloe asked as she sat down next to Rachel. 

“Yeah.” Rachel nodded. “Just, good vibes from now.”

“What happened happened. We don’t have to pretend it didn’t. For the record, I’m sorry. As someone who’s actually met Sera and seen her for who she truly was, I’m sorry. She’s absolutely a good person, and it’s not fair for us to have dismissed her like that. I hope we get to see her soon.” Chloe took Rachel’s hand and squeezed it. “Now, let’s eat. We have a game to speedrun.” 

“Oh my God! And you called me a nerd.”

“What? Ratchet and Clank is a cult CLASSIC. Max and I loved that game when we were kids. A little revisit won’t hurt, and it’s about time we got you into it.” 

“Alright! I’ll give it a shot. Just for you two. Right now, I’m fucking starving.” 

After dinner, Chloe immediately made a beeline for the TV to set up the game as Max cleaned up. Rachel lounged on the couch, taking it all in. Once Chloe had the game set up, she gave Rachel a controller.

“Jesus, okay.” Rachel sighed. 

Chloe sat next to Rachel. “I’ll help you.” She wrapped her arm around Rachel and held Rachel’s hands, guiding them to the various buttons. “Just like this. You’ll get it.”

“You’re a natural, Rach.” Max walked in with bowls of ice-cream. She kissed Rachel’s head as she walked past, placing the bowls on the coffee table. 

Rachel laughed and kissed her girlfriends. “Thank you. I love you both so much.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I’m honest, I made this chapter short so I can get to exactly 100k words LMAO


	30. Growth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max is forced to reassess her mental health. She is quickly reminded just how many people have her back, including a new name added to the fray.

Max was walking down a long, dark corridor. Portraits of faces of people she knew lined the wall, each of their eyes crossed out. She could feel the portraits staring at her, boring holes into her body. She was scared. Behind her, she could hear the walls start to shift. She started running. The walls were closing in. The portraits started laughing. She ran faster. The walls closed in faster. In the distance, she could see an open doorway, gleaming with a bright light. Shielding her eyes and bating her breath, Max sprinted towards the door and jumped through. She collapsed on the floor, breathless. She slowly got up. 

“BOOM!” The vault door slammed behind her. Max whirled around, but saw nothing but blackness. She continued forward. She felt a prick in her neck and her muscles relaxed. A man spoke to her in a soft voice. 

“Maxine, are you there?” He chuckled. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? But you’ve done well. Thanks to you, everything has fallen into place.”

Max tried to speak, but no words came out. 

“Max… see you soon.”

*

Max awoke. She sat bolt upright, gasping, drenched in a cold sweat. She quietly grabbed her phone and looked at the time. 4am. “Shit.” She mumbled. 

“Another nightmare?” A voice stirred next to her. 

Max shivered. “Yeah.” She said reluctantly. 

“You can’t keep denying it, Max. You need help.” Rachel said. 

“No, I can manage.”

“Like hell you will.” Chloe rebutted. She sat up and pulled Max into her so Max was lying on her chest. “We’re only a week away from… whatever happened to you happening now.”

Rachel crawled over and lay on top Max, her arm softly clutching at Max’s shoulder. As they were all naked, it was an odd but comfortable feeling. “No-one’s gonna think less of you for seeking help.”

Max sobbed. “But how do I explain my situation? How can I say why I feel like this?”

“One thing I’ve learned from therapy is that if you want total confidentiality, they’ll give it. No questions asked.” Chloe said. “Besides, you can afford to lie. I didn’t exactly tell my therapist that I almost killed a guy, and would have if I’d succeeded in my opportunity.” 

Rachel nodded. “You went through some serious trauma. You need to at least acknowledge that. Who cares if no-one else has perceived it yet? To you it happened. And that’s what matters.”

Max felt unsure. “I…”

“Look at this way.” Rachel interrupted. “You fought tooth and nail to go back. Back to where it all began. And your aim was to ensure that what happened to you NEVER happens to someone else. Why?  _ Because it was horrible.”  _

Chloe kissed Max’s neck. “Rachel’s right. You are tough and you are stubborn. I know this like I know myself. We’re all tough and stubborn, but this is not an instance that calls for those two qualities. I found that out the hard way too.” 

Max sighed. “It’s just so hard. To open myself up like that.”

“You’ve done it about 5 times already.” Rachel replied. 

Chloe laughed. “Touché. She’s got you there.” Max said nothing. “I know it’s different. But you’ll be great. It will help. Trust me.” Chloe dug her face into the nape of Max’s neck. “We love you.”

Rachel leaned upwards and kissed Max’s neck. “We really do.”

“Now. Let’s get some sleep.” Chloe said, slowly letting go of Max and rolling back over. 

“No wait, stop.” Max quietly cried. “Please, don’t let go. That was nice.”

Chloe smiled. She and Rachel both resumed their positions, squeezing Max’s small body. Smiling, they all quickly fell asleep. 

*

That afternoon, Rachel had asked Warren and Kate to come over to their apartment to discuss the situation, and offer suggestions for how to help Max. Warren sat at the table, a supportive hand on Max’s shoulder. Max smiled at him. Kate made a pot of tea and set it on the table for them. Kate sat down next to Max, on the opposite to Warren. Max turned to smile at her. Chloe and Rachel sat opposite Max. 

“Rachel is right. You need help.” Warren said. “I-I-I know your situation is like some crazy Prometheus shit but they can’t just turn you away.”

“What if they end up putting me in a mental hospital? Like Nathan?” Max asked.

Rachel shook her head. “They can’t do that unless they’re absolutely sure you plan to hurt yourself, or someone else.” 

“Max. Answer me honestly.” Kate said. “Have you ever thought about hurting yourself?”

“No, of course not!” Max cried in shock. 

“Ok. Just making sure.” Kate nodded solemnly. 

“I don’t know how you haven’t.” Warren said. “If I were you, I would have thrown in the towel by now.”

Max clutched her mug and rested her chin on the table. “Believe me, I’ve wanted to. But I don’t have that choice.”

“You do, actually.” Warren said, causing Max’s head to turn. 

“How can you say that?”

“A selfish person would choose to walk away. To ignore it and let it keep happening.” Warren said. “But you’re not a selfish person. And that’s why we love you so much.” 

“As well as…” Chloe coughed. “Other reasons.” She shot Warren a look and he shrank back slightly, mumbling an apology. Kate glared at Chloe briefly before turning back to Max.

“You did everything in your power to save me. You said so yourself.” Kate said. “And look at what you did for Rachel. Without you, she wouldn’t be here.” 

Rachel smiled weakly as Max looked up at her.

“It’s fair to say that we should help you this time. And we can start by getting you to see a professional.” Kate continued.

“Ok! You’ve convinced me already!” Max laughed. “But for now I wanna work out how we tackle Jefferson and Merrick.”

Kate pursed her lips and looked away. Warren looked down at the ground. Rachel and Chloe looked at each other. Chloe sighed.

“A week from today, in the other timeline, you would see me get shot in the bathroom. I get that you want to prevent this, but everything going on it’s hard! We have to lay low.”

Max raised an eyebrow. “Who are you and what have you done with my Chloe?”

“I’m saying, going gung ho is what got us into this mess in the first place.” Chloe said. “You were always the one holding me back, now it’s my turn.”

Max stared at Chloe.  _ “She really has changed, hasn’t she? I’ve done more to change this timeline than I ever could have predicted.” _

“Well…” Rachel trailed off, nervously parting her hair behind her ear, showing off her feather earring. “We could go to the vortex club party this week..”

Everyone stared at her. Chloe was the first to speak. “You can’t be serious.”

“It could be a really fun way to unwind!” Rachel tried to explain. “Plus, us showing up would be a massive middle finger to them, right? Well, to Victoria anyway.”

“I mean…” Max trailed off.

“Max what the fuck?” Chloe cried. “There’s no way you’re seriously considering this.”

“I mean, I already said to Taylor I might go… And besides, if we all stick together, we’ll be safe.”

Kate started sweating. “Well, you can go if you want, but there’s no way in hell I’m going. I don’t want history to repeat itself.”

Warren nodded. “Me neither. We’ll spend the evening together.”

“You both have lost your minds.” Chloe said. “But there’s no way in hell I’m leaving you two alone.”

“You’re not the one with superpowers.” Max replied.

“You’re not the one who knows their way around a gun.”

Max stared at her. “The fuck do you mean?”

“How could you not know I have a gun license?” Chloe replied. “David taught me how to shoot.”

Max shook her head suddenly. “Sorry. Bad memories.” Chloe nodded and said nothing. 

“Then it’s a date then.” Rachel smiled, raising a cheeky eyebrow as she did. 

“This was an excuse for you to get piss drunk. We know this.” Chloe rolled her eyes. 

“It’s also an excuse for you to get piss drunk.” Rachel replied, poking her.

“Okay fine. You sold me. Looking forward to tearing that shitfest apart.” Chloe grinned. 

_ “Ready for the mosh pit, shaka brah.”  _ Max smiled as she flashed-back to her best favourite memory. It may have been one of the most embarrassing to have ever emerged from her mouth, but with Chloe as the only audience, she didn’t care. And that first kiss, that beautiful, surprising first kiss. She would never forget it. Max looked and saw Chloe smiling lovingly at her. 

“Max you have no idea how cute you are when you smile.” Chloe whispered. Max blushed. Warren looked away and coughed. Kate sipped her tea awkwardly. 

Rachel giggled. “I appreciate the moment, but we have guests here.” 

“They can stay and enjoy the show.” Chloe shrugged, still smiling.

Max felt her heart pound. When Chloe smiled goofily, without any air of smugness, that was the Chloe Max loved the most. It may have been rare, but it was a pure, heartfelt, and loving smile. It reminded Max that Chloe truly loved her, and why Max loved Chloe so much. 

Kate interrupted the moment, feeling awkward. “Is there anything we can do between now and Friday?”

“Keep yourselves safe.” Max replied instinctively.

“No, for you.”

Max looked down at the table. “You guys… just being here today has been enough. Knowing I have your support is making this so much easier. So thank you.” 

Kate smiled. “That’s good.”

Warren stood up, and Max and Kate did the same. “We should get going. But it was really nice to see you guys.” He turned to Rachel. “Thanks for inviting us over. And Max?”

“Yeah?” 

Warren hugged Max. “Please stay safe. I don’t know what I- uh, we, would do without you.” 

Max hugged him back. “Thanks, Warren. Same goes for you.” 

They all waved goodbye as Kate and Warren left. Chloe stood up and walked over to Max, pulling her in for a tight hug. 

“Max Caulfield. Do you have any idea how much I fucking love you?”

Max giggled. “You’re in a funny mood today, Chloe.”

“I may be running on 4 hours sleep. Anyway, answer the question, goop.”

“Goop. You haven’t called me that for a long time.” Max breathed in and took in Chloe’s scent. “And of course I do. You reminded me today. Sitting at the table, smiling at me like a fucking dork.” Max turned to Rachel, who was standing by the table looking foolish. “Don’t think you’re getting outta this one, missy.”

Rachel beamed, swallowing her doubts. She ran over and jumped on Chloe and Max, squashing them together.

“Oof!” Max cried, before laughing. “The fact that you invited Kate and Warren here to support me, cause you know how much I value their friendship.” She sniffed. “Thank you both. So much.”

“Max Caulfield. We love you! Maxine Caulfield, we lo-o-ove you!” Rachel sang, jumping up and down with glee. “I am so stoked for this party. We need to have a huge makeover session beforehand.”

“There is no more discouraging statement you could have said just then.” Chloe replied, still hugging Max and Rachel. 

“Don’t worry. I can make you look more badass.” Rachel smiled, breaking the hug. “You need more clothes anyway.”

“Fine. No makeup, and no dresses.”

“Chloe, I’d sooner stab you than make you wear either of those things. Besides, you look hot the way you are.”

Max smiled wryly. “I’m not good with dresses either. The last time I even wore a dress was…” She trailed off. 

“Oh jeez.” Rachel grimaced. “Bad prom?”

Max shook her head. 

Chloe’s eyes flitted downwards. “Dad’s funeral.” She muttered. 

Max nodded. Silence rang through the apartment.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how come you didn’t wear a dress to prom?”

Max shrugged. “I didn’t go to prom. No-one ever invited me.” She said matter-of-factly, like it wasn’t a big deal.

Rachel and Chloe looked at each other. “Well then.” Rachel said. “Let this be the best party of your life.”

*

“Max, can I talk to you for a moment?”” 

Max froze. She wished she had her music loud enough so she could have not heard him, but curse her kind nature. She slowly turned to face the person who spoke to her, taking one earbud out but not pausing her music. “What’s wrong?”

Jefferson laughed. “You act as if you’ve done something wrong.” He suddenly turned serious. “Or have you done something wrong?”

Max started to sweat and backed up slightly as he approached her. “No, of course not-” 

Jefferson laughed again. “Haha I’m only kidding! Relax Max. I only want to know how you are doing.”

“Fine. Actually.” She mumbled, refusing to look him in the eye.

“Are you sure, Max?” Jefferson leaned slightly against the wall, trying to close the height distance between him. If his plan was to intimidate Max any less, it wasn’t working. “I’ve noticed you’ve been more… reclusive than normal. I pinned that down to you being shy, as some of your previous teachers have told me, but you tend to be very hostile towards some individuals, especially a certain Victoria Chase.”

Max rolled her eyes. “Whatever she said, she’s lying.”

Jefferson narrowed her eyes and glared at Max. “Interesting that that’s the first conclusion you jump to, Miss Caulfield.” He stood back up and folded his arms. “Ironically, she didn’t come to me at all. This was what I have observed myself. Your personal vendetta against young Miss Chase gone on long enough, and it’s no longer warranted.”

Max scowled.

“Granted, our young entrepreneur is no saint, and she will also be having this discussion with me in private. I encourage, once that has been fulfilled, for you two to come to a resolution, so maybe you can survive one class without tearing at each other’s throats, and acting like civilised human beings.” Jefferson tilted her head. “Now, does that sound reasonable, Miss Caulfield.”

“I want nothing more than to punch your face in, and stab your eyes out with the broken shards of your glasses.” Max mumbled. 

Jefferson was taken aback. “Excuse me? You and I are gonna-” 

Max lazily held up her right hand and rewound the previous few seconds. She took a deep breath. 

“Yes, Mr. Jefferson. That sounds reasonable.”

“Good.” Jefferson smiled. “I knew I could count on you. I’m also really looking forward to your entry for the Everyday Heroes contest. Only two weeks away, you know.” 

“I know.” Max nodded. 

“Are you going to the vortex club party on Friday?” He asked casually. 

Max raised an eyebrow.  _ “Why on earth do you care?”  _ She thought. She answered anyway. “Potentially. I don’t know yet.”

“Max, you have to make a decision at some point.” His phone rang and he quickly took it out of his pocket and answered it. “Anyway, I gotta take this. I’ll see you in class.” Mark Jefferson smiled. Max stood next to the doorway, eavesdropping. 

_ “Last time I did this, my best friend was walking towards the dorm room to kill herself…”  _ A chilling thought passed through Max’s brain.

“Yeah. Listen now’s not a good time.” Jefferson was keeping his voice low and his words vague. Max had the feeling he was talking to someone very important, and perhaps relevant to her investigation. “I am just about to go teach a class. Yes the plan is still going ahead, no that’s too dangerous.”

Max frowned.  _ “What the fuck does he mean by that?” _

“Eavesdropping on your teacher’s phone conversation, are we Max?” David Madsen’s rough voice practically boomed down the corridor, despite him standing right next to Max.

Max jumped. She looked at Jefferson, who was side-eyeing a glare at David. “No, of course not.” She expertly lied. “I’m waiting for Kate so we can go in together. That’s all.”

David narrowed his eyes. “Alright I believe ya. You doing alright, Max?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. How are you, David? And how’s Joyce?”

“I’m at work, so stick to Mr. Madsen for now, alright?” His expression softened and he sighed. “We’re good, yeah. Joyce is missin’ you guys, and so am I. We’re long overdue for another visit from you, Chloe, and Rachel.”

Max nodded. “Yeah that sounds good-”

“Listen, Max. I know you tend to be a rather… investigative person. But watch out, if you start distrusting the people closest to you, it’s gonna get hairy. Believe me, I know.”

“I’ll… keep that in mind. Thanks Mr. Madsen.” 

“See you ‘round, Max.” David tipped his cap and walked off.

Max quickly tried to listen back in on the conversation.

“Hold on, you’re cutting off- Ah. Forget it. I’ll call you later. I’m gonna be late for my own class.”

_ “Shit!” _ Max fumed and walked into the classroom, sitting down before Jefferson could be any the wiser. Kate was already sitting at her table. She smiled at Max as she sat down. 

“Hey Max.” Kate smiled.

“Hi, Kate.” Max smiled back. “Is that new lipstick? It looks great!” 

Kate blinked. “Why thank you, Max! It was a gift.”

“From Warren?”

Kate laughed. “Warren wouldn’t know good lipstick if it walked up and kissed him in the face. No, this was rather surprising:  _ Victoria  _ gave it to me.”

“Victoria? Really?” Max asked, confused.

Kate nodded. “She said she was sorry for the way she was treating me. She had a pretty nasty weekend, as I’m sure you know.”

Max nodded. “Poor Nathan…”

“Taylor was going through a lot too. Apparently she and Victoria had a big fight.”

“A fight? Really?” 

“Taylor was telling me about it. She said she felt bad cause it was around the same Nathan was admitted to hospital, but she was saying she was basically sick of Victoria’s attitude and how she treated you and I, and told her to grow up.”

“Bet Victoria took that well.” Max said sarcastically.

“Oh she absolutely did not. Victoria kicked Taylor outta the Vortex Club. For a while at least anyway.”

“Shit.” 

“They quickly reconciled, and Victoria just bought me this lipstick.”

Max looked up. “Speak of the devil.” 

  
Victoria and Taylor had just walked in, strangely silent. Instead of going straight to their table like normal. Victoria hesitated, looking at Taylor. Taylor nodded sternly, and sat down at her chair. Victoria walked towards Max.

“Hey Max, can you stand up for a second? I need to um… talk to you. For just a second.” Victoria said.

Max blinked.  _ “This is one strange fucking day.”  _ She thought. “Sure.” She said aloud, getting up from her chair. Kate looked at her with a puzzled expression on her face.

Then, Victoria did something Max could have never predicted. She hugged her. “Max, I’m so, so, sorry. For everything. Everything I’ve done, everything you went through, I just-” 

Max quickly let go. “You  _ know!? _ ” Max cried. She glared at Taylor.

“I had to, Max. I just couldn’t take it. Victoria was ragging on about you and I just-” Taylor said.

Max held up both hands and closed her eyes. “It’s- it’s fine. It’s okay. We can deal with this.” She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “How much do you know?”

Victoria stumbled over her words. “Enough to know that our teacher is a freak, and that without you half of the people in this room, and my best friend, would all be dead right now.” Victoria looked at the ground. “And that I did something unforgivable. And now I feel guilty for being a part of something horrible, being  _ friends  _ with someone that… that… twisted!” She cried. She looked over at Kate. “I’m so sorry for all the mean shit I said to you, Kate. Now and in whatever weird reality Max was from.” Kate just nodded a thanks.

Max rubbed Victoria’s arm. “But you haven’t done it yet. And Nathan’s exactly where he needs, and deserves, to be. He went through hell. I saw it myself. Yes, it’s important that he’s somewhere where he can’t hurt anyone but his own health is more important to him right now. And so is yours. We’ve all worked on ourselves since that timeline. It’s no longer who we are. You can be a good person, Victoria. I’ve seen it.”

Victoria nodded. “As you keep reminding me, Caulfield.” She looked Max in the eye. “And for the first time, I actually believe it. I hope we can all get through this soon, one way or another. And if Rachel were here, I would have apologised to her too. She was more of a victim than any of us.”

Max chuckled. “I’ll pass on the message.”

“This sounds weird, but maybe we could hug it out?”

Max smiled. “That would be nice.” Max walked up and hugged Victoria. She felt odd. Victoria was simultaneously warm and clammy. She was also surprisingly bony. 

“Wow. That was fast.” Jefferson said. He had just walked into the classroom, cellphone still in hand. “I wasn’t expecting that quick of a result, Max. Good work.” He beamed and sat down at his desk, opening up his laptop immediately. 

Max scowled and said nothing. Max looked at Victoria, and saw she was scowling too. She giggled. “Guess we’re not so different after all, huh?”

“Oh no, we absolutely are.” Victoria said without malice. “But that’s a good thing. Too many of either of us and the school would be hell.” She looked back to Jefferson. “Well, more than it already is.” She murmured. “Are you going to the vortex club party on Friday?” She asked, looking back at Max.

“Why does everyone keep asking me that?” Max asked. “Surprisingly, I am. Rachel wanted to go, and we can’t exactly leave her alone at the moment.”

Victoria looked awkward. “Cool. Taylor was telling me she wanted to do a makeover session with you. I’d be down for that as well. What about you, Katie?”

Kate was barely paying attention. “Hmm? Me? Oh! No. I kinda wanna steer clear of the vortex club and their parties. No offense.”

Victoria coughed. “I can’t say I blame you.” She sighed. “Still, it’d be cool for us all to hang out. Act like that we’re not mortal enemies, or that the world is ending.” Victoria looked at Taylor. “That should be the theme for next week’s party! End of the World.”

“OOH! I like that.” Taylor clapped her hands together with glee.

Max started to sweat. “Uh, about the makeover thing… Rachel said just last night that she wanted to give me and Chloe a makeover, so…”

“Price is going?” Victoria looked confused. “I’m afraid we don’t plan on playing any of Satan’s music, so she’s not gonna have plenty of fun.”

“Chloe doesn’t even like Black Metal.” Max rolled her eyes. “She has a pretty wide range. She just likes punk.”

“What does Chloe even plan on wearing?” Victoria laughed. “The theme is musical theatre. Right up Rachel’s alley, of course.” Victoria rolled her eyes. “I can imagine she’ll be the star of the show…” She looked at Max’s glare and stopped herself. “Sorry.”

“American Idiot is a musical.” Taylor said. “So that kinda works.” 

Victoria whirled around. “Since when do you listen to that sort of music?”

“Since I had a boyfriend who liked pop punk.” Taylor smiled. 

Victoria bit her lip. “Right. Sorry TT.”

“Well, I’ll let Chloe and Rachel know that’s the theme.” Max said.

“Wait! If we all do our makeover together, wouldn’t that be fun?” Victoria asked. “It’d be a nice way for me and Rachel to bond.”

Max smiled wryly. “I can’t imagine she’ll be very on board with that.”

Victoria shrugged. “At least give it a try.” She walked back over to her table and sat back down. 

“No, Mr. Graham, you can’t come in.” Jefferson said to the door. “Time for class. I know we’re running a little late, but so does most of the class, so I think we’re good.” He chuckled. “How are you all doing? You good?” He asked the select few people in class.

Victoria, Taylor, Kate, and Max all looked awkwardly at each other. Everyone either nodded or mumbled an affirmation.    
  


“Spectacular! I love the energy!” He said sarcastically. He looked at his watch. “I’m just going to assume anyone who isn’t here isn’t coming, so I’ll just start.” Jefferson walked over and resumed his regular spot on Daniel’s desk. Stella huffed, realising she was the only person Jefferson wasn’t directly facing this time. Everyone else was absent. “As you all know you have an essay due at the beginning of the next month. You’re all adults and you’re all artists, so you should have the freedom to choose your particular topic. I will guide you on finding a question for you to answer, as well as finding some credible academia for you to utilise in your research.” 

Victoria gave a disgusted look. Max giggled. It felt nice to finally relate to Victoria. Stella looked at them oddly with an eyebrow raised, a look Max had become all too familiar with. Max ignored her.

“Has anyone here chosen at the very least an aspect of photography they would want to write about?” Jefferson asked. “It could be a report on your favourite photographer, or an aspect of photography from long past. For instance, Max over here could talk about polaroids, and how even a type of photography as old and as simple as that is still so beautiful and prevalent in modern photography.”

Max shrank back slightly. 

“But that’s just an example.” Jefferson said. “Unless of course, that is something you’d wanna write about?” He turned to Max.

“Uh, yeah. Sure. Sounds good.” 

“Great!” Jefferson said excitedly. “That’s something we can discuss later on. Does anyone else have any ideas they might like to talk about?”

Everyone refused to make eye contact. 

“Well, once again, Max is the star of the class. Good work, Miss Caulfield.” 

Victoria turned to Max and scowled. When she saw Max scowling at Jefferson, she turned away, dropping her expression. Victoria’s expression implied she understood that Max was just as annoyed at Jefferson’s flattery as Victoria was. That comforted Max slightly. But their friendship was far from becoming a reality. While Max wanted an alliance, she was still hesitant at the potential of befriending Victoria. Max wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Victoria’s constant back-and-forth between her regular hostility and this newfound contentment reminded Max of Chloe when they first reunited. That now seemed like a lifetime ago. Back then, dealing with that pain and guilt felt so complex, now it felt like a walk in the park compared to what was going on now and what her life has become. She sighed and looked down at her desk. She had her notepad up with some random doodles she had drawn, as well as a couple of notes she had scrawn. Clearly her past self hadn’t paid that much attention, as some of the stuff she was learning was actually new to her. She also had her journal open and her cellphone on her desk. A quick peek at her phone told her Chloe had texted her, saying she was on her way to pick Max and Rachel up. She smiled. She quickly looked up at Jefferson to see if he was looking at her, before grabbing her phone and sending a quick text to Chloe.

“^_^ <3”

Within seconds, Chloe replied: “NO EMOJI”, making Max giggle.

“Heehee, I love you! XOMAXO” 

She looked back up and quickly placed her cellphone back on her desk, grinning to herself. Kate smiled at her. She subtly turned her notepad around to show her doodles, which were of several anthropomorphic animal children laughing and playing together. 

“This is really good, Kate.” Max whispered.

“Thank you. I like your flower too.”

Max giggled. Her drawings were considerably darker and creepier than Kate’s were, but Max refused to let that get to her. She preferred the dark and mysterious nature of her doodles over her past self’s depressing and simple faces. 

_ “Perhaps… a little sunshine and water will make this wilted flower grow… _ ” Max thought to herself, before drawing a smiling stick figure with a watering can pouring water over the dead flower. She thought back to her dorm room days, when she had Lisa. Her beautiful little (or rather not so little) plant that her mother had given her. She remembered the near-weekly reminders to look after it. Max lamented briefly on simpler times, before looking back to her drawing. “ _ Sometimes, a flower has to wilt before it can grow.”  _ Max blinked.  _ “Shit, that’s actually really poetic. I’m gonna write that down.” _

“Ok!” Jefferson clapped his hands. “Now that you’ve all had your class nap, it’s time for you to go home and have your home nap.” Jefferson smiled. “I’ll be emailing you some potential discussion questions for your essay tonight. You don’t have to reply to me straight away, but at the very least a vague idea by the end of tomorrow would be preferred. Mostly because I want you guys to have a fun weekend with the vortex club party this weekend.” Jefferson chuckled. “See? I’m a cool teacher!”

Everyone groaned. The bell rang, and everyone immediately proceeded to pack their things.

“Alright, fine!” Jefferson laughed. “I’m only kidding. Now before you leave, yet another reminder about the Everyday Heroes Contest for next week! I do hope you guys plan to enter, it’s practically a free opportunity to sell yourself to the world before you even leave high school. It’d be foolish to pass up such an opportunity.”

“That’s a little harsh.” Max mumbled to herself. 

“I’ll see you all tomorrow!” Jefferson said, and everyone quickly scrambled out the classroom door, muttering several thank you’s and ‘see you tomorrow’s’ as they went. 

Max walked out the door, and found Chloe and Rachel standing outside the science classroom, talking to Ms. Grant. Warren was there too, but he didn’t seem to be part of the conversation. He waved to Max, and she waved back, walking over to join Chloe and Rachel. Max couldn’t help but notice Warren’s saddened expression as he walked off. 

“Hey Chloe. Hey Rachel.” Max said. “Hi Ms. Grant.”

“Max!” Ms. Grant beamed. “We were just talking about you. How have you been?” 

Max nodded. “I’ve been pretty good. Steady going, as they say.”

“As who say?” Ms. Grant chuckled. “This isn’t the Great Depression, Max.”

Max resisted the urge to make a comeback. She simply shrugged. 

“I was just catching up our young friend Chloe here. You know, at one stage she was my star pupil.”

Max feigned surprise. “What? No way! Not Chloe.”

“Oh shut your mouth, Caulfield.” Chloe rolled her eyes. “Unless you’d rather walk home.” She smirked. Rachel punched her shoulder and Chloe cried out. 

“Be nice.” Rachel said quietly. She was using her smooth chocolatey voice, which Max knew was Chloe’s weakness. “There are teachers present.”

Chloe scowled.

Ms. Grant laughed. “Oh you two have not changed a bit. I miss having you in my classes, Chloe.”

“You do?” Chloe asked nervously.

“Sure. When you weren’t being, if you’ll excuse my language, a bratty little bitch, yes. You were a great student.”

Chloe laughed. “Sounds like me.”

“Well now that you have Warren in your classes, surely you’re not missing out on having a smartass genius in your class.” Max said. 

Ms. Grant nodded. “Warren’s a great student. Absolutely the best I’ve ever had. I hope he goes on to do great things, and I know he will. Just like you all will.” Ms. Grant checked her watch. “Now I better go, my husband’s birthday is today and I gotta dash to the supermarket for his birthday surprise.” She winked, then turned around and left.

“I like Ms. Grant.” Max smiled. “I’m glad we were able to talk to her.”

“Me too.” Chloe said. “She’s one of the few good people in this shithole.” She shivered. “Anyway, we better go. Being in here is bringing back some bad memories.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Rachel giggled, grabbing Chloe and Max’s hands and pulling them down the hall. “Let’s go!”

“Last one to the truck is a rotten egg!” Max cried, running full speed ahead to the parking lot. 

“Jesus Christ, Max.” Chloe huffed. She and Rachel quickly sprinted in an effort to catch up to her, but she was already way further ahead. 

  
“What took you so long?” Max laughed as Chloe and Rachel gradually made their way to the truck. 

Rachel puffed. “How the hell… are you… so fast?” She asked. “Surely you… must have cheated.” She coughed, resting her hands on her knees. “You used your rewind power, didn’t you?”

“Nope!” Max grinned. “I’ve always been better at running than Chloe has.”

Chloe scowled. “Unfortunately, the mad bitch is right. She’s always been better at sports than me, even if she doesn’t look it.” She lifted up her muscular arms, exposing her belly and her armpits from underneath her trademark skull singlet. She sighed deeply. “Now, if you’re done eyeing up my sexy midriff, we can get in the truck and go home.” 

Max smirked, and squeezed into her usual spot in the middle. She pulled out her phone. 

“Oooh! Texting up some cute boys behind our backs, are we?” Chloe teased. 

“The opposite, actually.” Max smiled. “It’s Victoria.”

“Max, it’s a good thing I haven’t started driving yet, or I would have slammed the brakes. Why the hell does Chase have yout number?”

Max shrugged. “You know, it’s weird.”

“What is?” Chloe asked. 

Rachel preemptively groaned. “I think I know where this is going.” 

“Once she found out what had happened, she was instantly a lot nicer.” 

“SHE  _ KNOWS!? _ ” Chloe yelled. “I thought she was the one person we weren’t supposed to tell!” 

“Yeah, well, blame Taylor.” Max sighed. “Actually, don’t. The situation was rather messy.”

“Wasn’t like, Taylor’s mom in the hospital same time as Nathan?” Rachel asked 

Max nodded. “Yeah. They had this big argument about how Taylor didn’t like the way Victoria was treating us anymore, and it got heated, so she blabbed.”

“About everything?” Chloe asked, starting the truck and pulling out of the parking lot. 

“It seems so.”

“Shit. Okay. So what’s the text about?”

“Well, in class today she asked if we all wanted to meet on Friday before the vortex club party for our makeover session.”

“Oh, right. And why would we agree to that?” Chloe asked sarcastically. 

“Because she said she’s sorry. For everything that she did, in every reality. Pretty much her words.”

“That doesn’t magically fix everything.”

“No, of course not. But considering how she reacted it’s clear she feels awful. She apologised to Kate too.”

“GOOD.” Rachel snarled. “How did she take that, anyway? That she was almost responsible for a classmate’s suicide?”

“About as well as Taylor did. In fact I’d say even worse.”

“Well Taylor looked like she’d have rather be trampled by a herd of elephants, so that is something.” Rachel sighed. “I don’t know. I’d be willing to give her a shot. I’d like to think I forgive easily.” 

“Except your dad, of course.” Chloe smirked. 

“Yes but he’s a different case entirely.” Rachel scowled at Chloe. “Thanks for bringing that up, by the way.” She hissed. 

“Okay, sorry.” Chloe murmured. 

Max smiled as she read through her past messages. Kate, Warren, Taylor and Victoria had all sent her encouraging words and promises to meet up in the future. She looked back and forth between Rachel and Chloe, now silent. 

_ “Maybe, just maybe, this wilted flower can grow again.”  _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 30 chapters! We’re getting closer!!! Oooh!!!


	31. The Vortex Club Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The infamous party is finally here. Max is excited - her newfound alliance with Victoria could spell out some good news for once, and the party looks like it might actually be fun.
> 
> But as Max soon discovers, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw implied date rape in this chapter

It was Friday, October 4th. The day of the vortex club party. Once again, Max felt as if she blinked and the week disappeared. On the way to her physics class, she couldn’t help but overhear a conversation happening between Juliet and Dana. 

“Did you hear? The venue for the party has been changed.” Juliet said. 

“No I didn’t. Why on such short notice?” Dana asked. 

“Hey guys.” Max said. 

Juliet blinked in surprise. “Oh, hi Max.”

Dana was a little more welcoming. “Max! How are you doing? Are you excited about tonight? I hear you’re prepping with Victoria. Meowch!” She giggled. 

Max giggled. “Yeah. I’m hella excited.”

Dana raised an eyebrow. “Hella? Girl you hang around with Rachel and Chloe too much.”

Max smirked. “Oh right, I’ll just dump them right now then.” 

Dana laughed. “No! Don’t do that!”

“What’s this I hear about a changing venue?” Max asked Juliet.

“Oh, it’s absurd. Apparently the club we were supposed to be at just mysteriously caught alight.” Juliet replied. 

Max stared. 

Dana cried, “What the fuck?” 

Juliet nodded. “Yep. Definitely arson, but nobody knows who did it.”

“So where’s the new venue?”

“I can answer that.” Victoria said, suddenly appearing beside them, slightly out of breath. “Thank G-d I caught up with you, Max. It’s at the Prescott estate.”

“WHAT!?” Dana shrieked. 

“It’s fine!” Victoria cried, covering her ears. “Nathan offered, and his sister said it was fine.”

“He threatened you with a gun only last week.” Juliet pointed out. 

“Yes. Thank you Juliet. I had almost forgotten about that.” Victoria said sarcastically through gritted teeth. “He had a bad relapse. It. Happens.” She snarled. “He apologised, and I’ve forgiven him. He’s also promised not to make too big a presence at the party.”

“Is he not still in hospital?” Dana asked. 

“No, he was discharged on Wednesday. They’ve upped his meds, which makes me both relieved and a little scared, for his sake.” Victoria sighed. “Anyway, I better go put all these posters up. Max, would you mind helping me?”

“Of course I don’t mind.” Max smiled. “I’ll talk to you both later, okay?”

“Stay safe, Maxie.” Dana smiled. 

“Don’t let her bite your head off.” Juliet called, only half-joking. 

“Man, Juliet really has it out for you, doesn’t she?” Max mumbled once they were out of earshot. 

“I tried to get her suspended for talking shit about the vortex club in her paper.” Victoria sighed. “Didn’t work, of course, but she still has a fucking boner for me or whatever. Not that I blame her, at least not wholly.” 

Max simply nodded, even though Victoria was in front of her, not looking at her. “So why Nathan’s? Your parents’ house must be big enough.”

“That’s a very nice way of saying I’m filthy rich.” Victoria replied. “And are you kidding? My parents would kill me.” 

Max gulped. “And what about you and Nathan?” 

“I… I don’t know Max. You come from a timeline where he actually _ used _ a gun, and killed someone with it. And that he just fucking dies. That knowledge doesn’t rest easy with me. Yes I’ve forgiven him, but I’m still scared. And I can tell he is too.” 

“What about the gun?”

Victoria stopped walking and put up a couple posters detailing the new venue for the party. “Disposed of. I made sure the police took it.”

“Did they actually arrest him?”

“Of course not. All the police know him and his issues.”

Max couldn’t help but frown. “If it were anyone else, he’d be serving a good couple years in prison. But because it’s Nathan Prescott…”

Victoria refused to comment, but gave a pointed look at Max, and she shut up. They continued walking around the main complex, putting up posters here and there. They waved to Courtney as she walked past them. Max checked the time. “I should go. Physics starts in 5 minutes and I wanna talk to Warren.”

“No worries. You head off. Thanks for your help.” Victoria smiled. 

“Least I could do.” Max replied with a smile, before turning and heading into the science labs. Ms. Grant was sitting at her desk, humming to herself. She looked busy, so Max didn’t bother her. Instead she just waved at her and then walked over to Warren, who was talking to Brooke. Brooke side-eyed her, before getting up and walking back to her seat, waving to Warren as she did.

“Hey Warren.” Max smiled.

“Hey Max.” Warren mumbled. Max could tell he still felt awkward about the other week. 

“You doing alright?” She asked, sitting down on her chair next to him. 

“Better than you, apparently.” Warren mumbled.

“Listen here, Mister Mumbles. I’m getting back on track. I feel a lot better now. There’s no use in you moping about with your head in the gutter when all this is going on. Like it or not, we need you to be strong. You’re the strongest man I know.”

Warren smiled. “Really?”

Max nodded. “And I understand how crazy this all is, especially with us.”

Warren looked down. “Do you think there was a time…” He turned his head away. “Where we could have been…”

Max pondered for a moment. She wanted to answer this in a way that hurt him the least while still telling him the truth. “Does it really matter? We’re here now, and we have people that love us.”

“Yeah, I know, but…”

“Look, I don’t doubt there may be some reality where we were together. There was doubt I liked you before. But back then I need Warren Graham as a friend, and right now I need Warren Graham as a friend more than ever.” She smiled and put her hand on his shoulder. “We’ll get through this. Together.”

Warren nodded. “Thanks Max. I, uh, told Kate about how I felt about you.”

Max tilted her head. “What did she say?”

“She laughed and said she wasn’t surprised.” Warren chuckled. “She’d figured there had been something on my mind for a while. She also told me that you told her your story.”

Max nodded. “Unfortunately, in front of good ears. Now Taylor and Victoria know too.”

Warren’s eyes widened. “What the hell? How did they respond?”

“Surprisingly apologetic.” Max sighed. “Victoria is now the nicest person alive, apparently. She wants to do my makeover for the vortex club party tonight. By the way, are you going?”

Warren shook his head. “I’m spending the evening with Kate. Well, via facetime anyway.”

“That’s probably wise. Especially since the venue’s been shifted to Prescott’s house.”

“What the fuck? Why?”

“The club it was originally gonna be at just burnt down. Nathan offered his house last minute to help.” 

“Just burnt down? Just like that?”

“Well, caught fire anyway. No-one knows who did it but it was definitely deliberate.”

“That’s so… weird.” Warren blinked. He turned to face the front as Ms. Grant addressed the class. 

For the rest of the class, Max ended up doing most of the talking. Whatever doubts Warren had were still plaguing his mind, and that made Max worry. At the end of the class, Warren hugged her. 

“Please stay safe. I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Of course. I’ll see you then.” 

“Oh wait, before I forget-” Warren said, quickly rummaging through his backpack. “Here. I downloaded a bunch of my favourite movies onto my flash drive. Thought you might need a chill weekend before you get into a pretty intense week.”

Max took the flash drive and stared at it, completely silent. She turned it over a couple times in her hands, as if to make sure it was real. 

“You okay?” Warren asked. “You look a little spooked.”

Max snapped her gaze back to Warren. “I’m good. Yeah.” She quickly pocketed the flash drive. “Thanks Warren. I’ll go through it and see if there’s any movies Rachel and Chloe will like.”

Warren smiled. “Good. I’d better head to my next class. I’ll see you later.”

Max nodded. “See ya, Warren.” She looked at the flash drive again. _ “Warren’s flash drive…” _She thought. Thoughts of the flash drive and its implications continued to circle around her head throughout the rest of the school day. By the time she got into Chloe’s truck at 4 o’clock, she still had the flash drive in her hand. 

“What’s that you got there?” Chloe asked. “You seem awfully interested in it.”

Max looked up. “Oh, it’s just a flash drive.”

“No shit, sherlock.” Chloe smirked. “What’s on it? Your porn stash?”

“Ew! No!” Max cried. “It’s Warren’s.”

Chloe gasped. “WARREN’S PORN STASH?”

“Ugh. Shut up! It’s his movie collection. He suggested all three have a chill weekend watching some movies before next week.”

“That was nice of him.” Rachel said. “But that doesn’t explain why it’s so much more interesting to you than we are.”

“It’s just that-“ Max sighed. “On the Monday in the orig- ah, other… timeline, he asks for his flash drive back.”

“And that’s significant, somehow?” Chloe asked.

“Well, I just remember it pretty clearly. I get back to my dorm room, that is no more, to pick it up, only to discover Dana had borrowed it.”

“Uh huh…” Chloe said, struggling to follow. 

“Had to solve a rather nasty dispute between her and Juliet.”

“Juliet?” Rachel asked. “But they’re like the best of buds.”

“Yeah, and they were then as well, but Victoria was a nasty bitch and convinced Juliet that Zachary was cheating on her with Dana.”

“Yeesh.” Chloe said. “And Juliet will believe anyone will spite her.” 

“I had to convince Juliet it was false, and Victoria was actually his mistress.”

“Of course she was.” Rachel sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead.”

“Anyway, after multiple tales of boyfriend trouble, I got the flash drive and met up with Warren in the parking lot. I gave it back to him, and Nathan Prescott shows up, fucking pissed. He suspects I saw him in the bathroom with a gun and accuses me of reporting him to Principal Wells.”

“And did you?” Chloe asked. 

Max nodded sheepishly. “Yeah, but I regret it now, considering I know the kind of principal Wells is. Anyway, Warren tries to get him off me, and Nathan starts beating the shit out of him. That’s when you pull up in your nasty-ass truck and take me to your house.”

“Oh.” Chloe said. 

“It was the first time we had seen or talked to each other in 5 years. I’ll never forget it. Seeing the flash drive again just brought all that back.”

“Shit. Don’t blame you.” Rachel replied. “Cause that was the beginning, right?”

Max nodded. “I appreciate Warren trying to help and it’s certainly not his fault, but I just can’t help but feel like…”

“It’s all happening the same as before?” Rachel finished. “I don’t blame you for feeling like this. But enough of that. Who’s excited for tonight?”

“I’m excited to punch Victoria at her own house if she tries to touch me.” Chloe said. 

“Oh, leave her alone. It’ll be fun. I am very excited.” Max said. “Besides, I’m sure Victoria won’t even touch you with a ten foot pole.”

“Good. I think.” 

*

That evening, after they had all showered, Chloe drove them all out to Victoria’s house, already in her punk outfit. She was wearing brand-new ripped jeans (as picked out by Rachel), a polished leather jacket fit with spiked studs, her trademark skull singlet and blue beanie, and large blood-red doc martens. Rachel was a 1920’s-style red dress decorated in black sequins, and a headband with a feather on it, and very expensive heels that matched her dress. Max was wearing a short black dress, coloured with large blue butterflies. Max took a deep breath as she rang Victoria’s doorbell. Excited whispers chatted inside of the house. A few seconds later, the door swung open. 

“Max!” Victoria cried, pulling Max into a tight embrace. “You made it! Come on in you guys! You look fantastic! I love the butterflies! Where on earth did you get such a nice dress?”

“Thrift shop.” Max admitted. 

Victoria laughed. “Well, it’s very you. Plus it looks great.” She turned to face the other two. “Rachel! You look amazing!”

Rachel blinked. She was clearly not used to Victoria’s hospitality. “Thank you.”

“Courtney, come grab their coats.” Victoria called. Courtney quickly came running and took Rachel and Max’s jackets from them. 

“Touch me or my clothes, and it’s the last thing you’ll do.” Chloe snarled. 

Courtney backed away nervously, hanging the other coats on a large coat rack.

“Be nice.” Max muttered to Chloe. 

Chloe huffed and said nothing. 

“Anyway, can we get you guys something to drink?”

“Yeah. A hard whiskey. I want to black out as soon as possible so I don’t have to keep staring at your stupid face.” Chloe spat. 

Victoria looked shocked. “Ah ha, you’re funny Price.” She walked over to the kitchen, where Taylor was stirring a virgin cocktail. 

“Oh for fucks sake, Chloe.” Max yelled, smacking Chloe hard. “I’m gonna have to rewind this.”

“Don’t you da-“ Chloe tried to say, but Max had already lifted her hand and rewound the past few seconds. 

“Chloe Price. Shut. Your. Mouth.” Max snarled a warning low enough so only Chloe and Rachel could hear. 

“What? Oh fine. Not a peep. Promise.” Chloe said, miming a zip motion across her lips. 

“Good.”

“Anyway, can we get you guys something to drink?”

“Do you have gin and tonic?” Rachel asked. 

Victoria sighed. “Sadly, my parents don’t like it when I pre-drink, or go to a party at all. All we have is dad’s shitty beer or my mom’s expensive wine. You can help yourself to some of that if you want, or something non-alcoholic. I myself am gonna save the alcohol for the good stuff at the party.”

Rachel smirked. “Sounds like a plan. Is it red or white?”

“White.” Victoria replied. “My mom doesn’t want to stain the carpet.”

Chloe and Max smirked at each other. 

“I’ll have a glass of that, please.” Rachel said. 

“Just some orange juice would be nice.” Max said. 

“Oooh, a hard drinker over here.” Victoria replied. Taylor and Courtney giggled. 

Chloe gritted her teeth, so Max put her hand on her arm. Chloe instantly relaxed. 

Max laughed. “Yep. That’s me.” Normally a joke like that from Victoria would have cut deep, but now that Victoria was on her side, it was more comforting. Like friendly banter as opposed to spiteful hatred. 

“Come have a seat. Taylor, since you’re already in the kitchen, would you mind getting our guests their drinks?”

Taylor nodded and walked to the fridge. 

“Victoria, your place is huge.” Max said, her mouth forming an O.

“Wait until you see Nathan’s house.” Victoria winked. 

Max grimaced, not wanting to tell Victoria that she already had seen it. Instead, she looked around, admiring various pieces of artwork that covered the white living room walls. Mostly expensive paintings and photographs from distinguished artists. To say the least, Max was impressed. “Woah, is that a Richard Avedon piece?” She cried, running over to a large photograph that hung over the large sofa in the living room. 

Victoria nodded. “Birthday present from my parents.” She smiled. “Trust you to spot that so quickly. You have a good eye.” 

Max blushed. “Thanks, Victoria. That means a lot.” 

Victoria sat down on the sofa, then everyone else followed suit. Taylor walked over, carrying drinks for everyone. Chloe huffed, regretting not asking for one. 

“Thanks Taylor.” Max said. 

“You’re welcome. I must say you three are looking fabulous tonight. Everyone’s gonna look so hot by the time we head over.”

Victoria nodded. “Courtney is our resident makeup artist. She’s guaranteed to make everyone look fantastic.”

“Oh, um…” Rachel said nervously. “I was under the impression I’d be doing the makeup.”

Courtney eyed her curiously. 

Victoria blinked. “I mean, that makes sense. You always know how to look stunning. I can’t believe that slipped my mind. If you want to do yourself and Chloe and Max, I’m sure Courtney would be happy to just stick with us.”

Courtney nodded hurriedly. “Mm hmm. Of course.” 

“Well, that settles it.” Rachel smiled, sipping her wine. “This is very good wine, by the way.”

“Thank you!” Victoria smiled. “Mom got it while she was in France. She collects only the finest of white wines.”

Chloe scowled, and Max placed her hand back on Chloe’s arm, instantly feeling the tension rise. Max winked at her.

“Well.” Rachel smiled. “Thank your mother for me.” She drank the last of the wine and set her glass on the large glass coffee table. “Are we ready?”

“We just sat down.” Max whined, her orange juice only half-finished. 

“Oh hurry up then, Max. We need all the time we have to get this perfect.” Rachel said, taking a makeup kit out of her purse.

“You’re on to it, Rach.” Victoria smiled, and Max felt like it was actually genuine. Max was hoping Victoria was seeing the same pattern as she was beginning to see - that Victoria and Rachel were not too dissimilar. 

Max quickly downed the rest of her drink and placed it on the table. “Let’s do this thing.” 

Victoria snorted, and Taylor and Courtney giggled.

“What’s so funny?” Max asked.

Chloe gnawed on her knuckles. 

Rachel covered her mouth to keep herself from laughing. “You gotta little uh… pulp. On your chin.”

Max’s eyes widened, and she hastily wiped her face with her hand, before running over to the sink and rinsing her hands. She walked back over to the couch casually. “You never saw that.”

“No rewind?” Chloe smirked. 

“Hush, you.” Max replied. 

“Anyway, enough laughing at Max’s expense. I imagine you have a dedicated makeup room?”

“That’s an awfully bold assumption, Rachel. Clearly assumed from preconceptions based on my parents’ wealth.” Victoria narrowed her eyes at Rachel. She sighed. “It’s in my bedroom next to the walk-in closet.”

Chloe laughed. “Victoria you crack me up.”

Victoria smiled. “Thanks, Price.”

Chloe looked at her oddly.

“Wonderful. Glad to see we’re all getting along.” Max smirked, getting up off the couch. “Let’s do this thing.”

An hour later, Victoria led them back downstairs and out the front door. 

“Christ.” Max shivered, her legs trembling. “It’s so fucking cold now.” 

“No kidding.” Victoria said through gritted teeth. Like Courtney and Taylor, she was wearing a short tartan skirt and matching blazer. They had deliberately coordinated colours to resemble the trio from the _ Heathers. _Rachel had been very excited when their outfits had been revealed. 

“No idea what you’re talking about.” Chloe smirked. “I’m fine.”

“Max is it okay if we use her as fuel for a bonfire?” Victoria asked. 

Max shrugged. “You’ll have to get past Rachel, first.”

Rachel smirked, holding up her hand like a cat with its claws extended, mocking a hiss. 

“Rachel, do everyone a favour and never do that again.” Chloe said, opening the door of her truck. 

“We’ll see you in a bit!” Max cried as the two trios split off in separate directions. 

“Au revoir.” Victoria smiled. 

“Yeesh. That was an adventure. I really need a fucking drink.” Chloe said, starting the truck and speeding off down the road. 

“So much for a sober driver.” Rachel said. 

“I can sober up pretty quick if I need to. I don’t plan to get blackout like you tend to do, missy.” 

“Call me missy again and you’ll be the one blacking out.” Rachel replied. 

“I’d like to see you try, Amber.”

“Can you two shut the fuck up for a second?” Max said. “I’m trying to find directions.”

“It’s just a big highway dude. All I have to do is look for a giant fucking mansion.” Chloe replied, flicking on her headlights. “See? Just up there.” She pointed to a large mansion lit up with various bright colours. 

Max scowled. “Take a right.”

“Yes ma’am.” Chloe said, slowing down as she approached the turnoff. “God they even get their own sign, as if it’s a fucking landmark. Such bullshit.” She murmured. 

5 minutes and a steep hill later, Chloe parked the car in a nearby field and they all walked towards the estate. Two large guards in black suits and sunglasses blocked the entrance. One had a beard and the other had numerous face tattoos and piercings. 

“Name?” A gruff voice asked as the girls approached. 

“Uh… Max Caulfield.” Max spoke. “With Rachel Amber and Chloe Price.” 

The tattooed bodyguard nodded. “Head on in.”

“Jesus.” Rachel whispered. “Prescott really got the big guns out.”

“Victoria’s idea, probably. Doesn’t want any unwanted guests, if you get my drift.” Max replied solemnly. 

“I think I know that guy.” Chloe said, more to herself than Max and Rachel. She pointed at the tattooed guard. “Pretty sure I talked my way past him at the Firewalk concert. Chill dude.” 

“If this party is even half as good as that night was…” Rachel smiled. 

“Does that mean we can torch this place too?”

“Don’t remind me about that.” Rachel quickly said. 

“Sorry. Joking.” 

“Okay. I wanna see who else is here.” Max looked around. It was cold outside, but it was a clear night. “Hmm… doesn’t seem like the party’s inside.”

“Nathan has a huge section. They’re probably all around the back.” Rachel said. 

“Perceptive as always, Rachel.” Victoria said. “You got past the guards okay, thank G-d. A few people have been texting me about whatever bullshit.”

Chloe shrugged. “So we just gonna stand here, or…?”

“Nope! I wanna fucking party!” Victoria grinned. “Come on, Max!” She walked quickly through the front door and into the estate, Taylor and Courtney at her heels. 

“Christ.” Max mumbled. “Let’s get moving.” 

As they all walked in, the music got immediately louder. They followed Victoria through a massive atrium and down a corridor, before approaching the living room, where several people were mingling about, protecting themselves from the cold. Chloe spied Hayden sitting on the couch with several girls, very stoned. She waved at him and he slowly waved back.

“Just out here.” Victoria smiled, leading them through a large sliding door. 

“An outdoor bar?” Max asked. “That’s a bit overboard, surely.”

“Not for Nathan Prescott.” Victoria replied. “I’m gonna get myself a fucking drink. I’ll leave you guys to it. Ta-ta.” She smiled, and walked off. 

“Good fucking lord.” Chloe muttered. “This music stinks.” She sauntered over to the bar. “Come on, I’m not going near this prick by myself.” 

“What do you- oh.” Max said. Nathan was standing near the bar, now having a very loud conversation with Victoria.

“Victoriaaa!” Nathan cried. “Glad you could make it! You look fucking good tonight, as per usual.” He smirked. 

_ “Ugh.” _Max thought. She quietly moved towards the bar and stood next to Chloe. 

“Rachel-? Ah whateverthefuck! The hell are they doing here?” Nathan asked loudly. He was already half-drunk. 

“They’re on the list, Nathan.” Victoria said sweetly. “Also, I’ve asked them to leave you alone. They need not disturb our night, after all.” Victoria moved closer to Nathan, making him grin. 

_ “No you did not tell us that, Victoria.” _Max thought accusingly. She was grateful, though, because she hoped that meant Nathan would avoid her and her girlfriends. 

“The fuck kinda price is that?” Chloe snarled. “It’s just shitty whiskey.”

The bartender, who looked like the cover of hipster magazine, held up his hands. “I just work here, dude.”

“Whatever. I’ll take two shots.” Chloe grimaced as she swiped her card. The bartender poured her shots and she immediately downed both of them. “30 fucking dollars. Jesus Christ. This party blows.”

“Was it worth it?” Rachel smirked. 

“We’ll revisit that when the vodka hits.” Chloe replied. 

“Tell ya what doesn’t suck,” Rachel said. “The dance floor! Let’s go!” She grabbed Chloe’s hand and pulled her inside. “You coming, Max?” 

“I’m not really in a dancing mood.” Max said, rubbing her arm. “There’s a lot of people in there.” 

“Alright, if you say so.” Rachel giggled. “Come on, Chloe!” 

“Alright, I’m coming!” Chloe replied, running to catch up with her. 

Max sighed. She desperately wanted to get away from Nathan but she wasn’t sure where to go. She wandered back into the large living room where people were sitting having idle conversation. She walked through to the large atrium which housed the dance floor, where Rachel and Chloe seemed to be having a couple’s contest against Zachary and Juliet and Dana and Trevor. Justin was sitting in the corner looking sorry for himself. She casually explored various rooms of the estate that she felt was socially acceptable. She walked back over to the main living room. She looked over to the fireplace in the centre of the main living room, which was lit up with a fake neon-blue fire. Max wondered why on earth such a design was necessary. Stella, Brooke, and Alyssa were talking, each holding their respective drinks. Max walked over to them. 

“Hey guys.” Max smiled. 

“Hey Max, what’s going on?” Stella asked.

“Nothing much. Rachel and Chloe are out on the dance floor, but I didn’t feel like dancing, so I thought I’d talk to you guys.”

“Fair enough.” Alyssa shrugged. 

“Do not blame you.” Brooke said. “Ugh, I’m so annoyed. I wanted to take some cool photos of the party for the school magazine, but some drunk jackasses kept throwing shit at my drone.”

“Oh god, it’s not broken is it?” Max asked. 

“Max do you judge my piloting skills that much?” Brooke replied. “Naw I got it outta there in the nick of time. I left it in Alyssa’s car. Sad times.”

“Safe and sound.” Alyssa said, holding up her keys.

“Well that’s good. Did you guys all come together?” 

“Yeah, the whole party troupe.” Stella giggled. “Alyssa’s the only one who can drive anyway.”

“Oh, now you say I can drive.” Alyssa scoffed. 

“Alyssa I was joking!” Stella cried. “God!” She shook her head. “Anyway, how are you doing? You’ve been kind of… weird this week.”

“Oh, uh, nothing.” Max said. “Just a little stressed, that’s all. Why do you ask?”

“Well it’s just that…” Stella trailed off. 

“Warren’s been acting weird ever since you spent that weekend with him.” Brooke said, her arms folded. 

“And Kate, too!” Alyssa said. 

“Also, I saw Victoria _ hug _you today. Like you guys were best pals. Not to mention you arrived at this party together.” Stella added sadly. “There’s something… weird going on with you.”

Max shuddered. _ “Why did you have to say it like that? _” Max thought. “Everything’s fine. I promise.” 

“Okay… if you say so…” Alyssa said. 

Max suddenly felt a tug on her shoulder. “Hey!” She turned around. “Oh, hey Chloe.”

“Max, I can’t find Rachel. Anywhere.” Chloe said, a panicked expression on her face. 

Max felt her face drop. “What? I-I thought she was with you!” She cried. 

“I thought she was with you!” Chloe said. “I went for a smoke and she-she-she said she’d find you and- Oh God, Max.”

“Shit shit shit! Okay. Okay.” Max felt her heart start racing. 

“Are you guys okay?” Brooke asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Not now!” Max cried. “Oh God this can’t be happening! I thought I fixed everything!”

“Max it’s not your fault, we just have to find her.” Chloe said, placing her hands on Max’s shoulders. 

“She could just be in the bathroom.” Alyssa suggested, finishing her drink. 

“She’s not answering her phone.” Chloe said, briefly looking up at Alyssa. 

Stella bit her lip. “Okay. Who have you talked to? Did anyone else see her?”

Chloe shook her head. “Nothing. I talked to Dana, Juliet, Justin, even Logan of all people- none of them have seen her!” 

“Victoria! Oh thank God.” Max cried as Victoria walked past them. “We can’t find Rachel anywhere!”

“What?!” Victoria cried. “God you don’t think-“ 

“She might be if we don’t find her soon!” Chloe said, panic gradually rising in her voice.

Victoria scowled. “This is bad. I can’t find Nathan either. He said he had to go take his meds but he hasn’t come back yet.” 

Max’s eyes widened. “How long ago was this?” She asked slowly. 

“About 10 minutes ago.” 

“That would have been when I went for my smoke.” Chloe said. 

“Okay. I can work with that.” Max said. She looked at Chloe. “You ready?” 

“For what?” Stella asked. 

Chloe ignored her and nodded. 

“Okay. Here goes.” Max breathed out deeply, then held out her right hand. 

“Ow, fuck!” Chloe cried, clutching onto Max’s shoulder as Max rewound time. 

“Almost there- ah!” Max cried as she let time resume. 

“Woah, where did you guys come from?” Stella asked. 

“Just appeared outta nowhere.” Alyssa said, her hand over her heart, her drink now full. 

“Hey guys.” Max said, out of breath. “Gotta dash.” She and Chloe ran over to the main atrium. 

“Ooookaaaay?” Stella said. “Do you know what that was about?” Max could hear her ask. 

“Haven’t a clue.” Alyssa shook her head. 

“It’s Max. Who knows what’s going on with her?” Brooke said. 

“Rachel?” Chloe cried once they got to the dance floor. 

“I think I saw her go back to the bar.” Trevor said, briefly stopping his goofy dad-dance. “Looking for you, I think.”

“Thank God. Trevor you’re a lifesaver.” Max cried. Trevor shrugged. They ran over to the bar to see Rachel sitting at the bar with a drink in her hand. 

“Rachel don’t!” Chloe cried, running over and grabbing the drink from her hand.

“Jesus, Chloe, what the fuck?!” Rachel shouted. “So what you can have two shots of whiskey but I can’t even drink one fucking vodka infusion?” 

Chloe gave the drink a sniff. “The fucker wasn’t even trying to be subtle.” She passed the drink back to Rachel. “Smell that.”

“It just smells like alcohol. It’s vodka, Chloe.”

“Nope. Some fucker’s laced it.”

“How do you know that?” Rachel snarled. 

“Believe me, we know.” Max said.

“Oh Christ, Max.” Rachel exclaimed, seeing the blood drip down from Max’s nose. “You actually-? Oh my God.” Rachel covered her face with her hands. “I’m so fucking stupid.” 

“It’s fine. Stop beating yourself up.” Chloe said. “The important thing is you’re safe now. Let’s just get the fuck out of here.” 

“Agreed.” Rachel said. “This was a terrible fucking idea.”

“Come on.” Max said, leading the other two back inside. They pushed through the crowds that were gathering on the dance floor in the atrium. Max looked up. 

Nathan Prescott was staring down from a balcony upstairs, a deep scowl on his face. He turned around, walking into a room Max recognised as his bedroom and shut the door. 

“Chase, we’re fucking leaving!” Chloe screamed at the top of her lungs as they all walked out the door. “Fuck you, Prescott!” She snarled, and sauntered over to the truck. 

On the way home, none of them said a word to each other. Rachel was distraught and Chloe was angry. 

But all Max could think about was Nathan Prescott’s angry scowl staring down at her, and one terrifying thought plagued her mind: _ “Is history really gonna repeat itself?” _

  
  



	32. A Relaxing Night-In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's hard to relax with impending doom approaching, but one makes do with help from loving partners.
> 
> And evil schemers.

Max woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. It was her default ringtone, meaning it wasn’t a number she recognised. She picked it up and answered it. 

“Hello?” She said groggily. 

“Max! Hey!” Came a rushed and excited voice. “Oh sorry, did I wake you?”

Max checked the time. 11am. “N-no, of course not.”

“I appreciate the politeness, but I can tell you’re barely awake. But this is pretty important.”

Max slapped her face lazily. “I’m sorry, but who is this?”

“Oh right! It’s Brooke.” Brooke Scott finally said. “Warren gave me your number.”

“And why did he do that?” 

“Because I have to show you something. Something baffling.”

“Okay…” Max was on the verge of hanging up. After everything that happened last night, she wanted nothing more than to just do nothing and forget about the world. Suddenly, weed didn’t sound like a bad idea to her. She got out of bed, careful not to disturb her two sleeping beauties, and walked into the living room. 

“Do you have data? I’m gonna text you the video now.”

“What video?” Max asked. Brooke was being oddly cryptic. 

“I took it last night at the party, right before some fuckers tried to shoot down my drone. It’s so bizarre! Warren couldn’t explain it, and he told me to come to you.”

“Why? I’m no scientist.”

“I know, that’s what I thought too. Ah- no offense. But Warren said that you needed to see it.”

If Max wasn’t worried before, she was absolutely terrified now. “Okay. I’ve got it. Watching it now.” Max played the video slowly. Seemed like regular shots of the party crowd at the outside bar. The drone panned over to Nathan and Victoria. The drone couldn’t pick up what they were saying, but Victoria was laughing. Max couldn’t help but notice she was keeping her drink close to her. Taylor and Courtney were nowhere to be found. “What am I looking at, Brooke?”

“Keep watching. It’s after the shot of Logan.”

Sure enough, the drone panned to Logan talking to a girl Max didn’t recognise who looked very uncomfortable with his presence. He looked up at the drone and laughed, aiming to throw his beer bottle at it. The drone rose high into the air to avoid the projectile and that’s when Max saw it. 

“Was that-“ Max cried. 

“Lightning? Yeah. Ball lightning at that too.” Brooke replied, clearly very excited. “I’m so glad the drone got it.”

“But it was a clear night! You sure that wasn’t somebody’s flashlight or something?”

“That high up in the air? And at that far distance?” Brooke chuckled. “Nuh uh. Definitely ball lightning.”

Max was stunned.  _ “There’s no way. There’s no way this is happening.” _

“So, Dr. Max, do you have an explanation?”

“No of course not!” Max cried. “How could I? Lightning when there’s no cloud in the sky!? That’s crazy!”

“What!?” Brooke shrieked. “What was the point of me calling you then!? Ugh! And Warren was so sure as well. Sorry for wasting your time.”

“No no, thank you. It was good that you showed me that. Thank you. And thank Warren too.”

“No worries, Max. I’ll see you on Monday.” 

“Yeah. Of course.” Max said. Brooke hung up. “This is bad.” Max said aloud. “This is really bad.” She started pacing around the kitchen, muttering to herself. “Shit shit shit. Shit!”

“What’s wrong, Max?” Chloe walked in sleepily. Where Max had mustered the effort to put on pyjamas, Chloe was simply wearing loose underwear. She was completely topless.

“Jesus Christ, Chloe. Put a shirt on.”

“Can’t be fucked.” Chloe yawned. “Anyway, you seem stressed. What’s going on?”

“Brooke just sent me this.” Max said, handing her phone to Chloe. 

“Mmm?” Chloe mumbled. “What the fuck?” She looked up at Max, a lot more awake. “What the fuck was that?”

“Ball lightning.” 

“At the party? How the fuck did we miss that? That was before we left.” Chloe asked. 

“We were all inside, and there was no thunder.”

“No thunder? How?” 

Max shook her head and shrugged. 

“Shit. Do you think this is one of those apocalyptic events you were talking about?”

“I don’t know!” Max cried. “Warren seems to think so, he was the one that told Brooke to show me this.”

“Shit.” Chloe mumbled. “Credit to Warren, he’s a smart dude. He could well be right.”

“Chloe, what if I didn’t change shit?” Max felt her nose run as tears started to stream down her face. “What if the tornado is just some predetermined event that happens regardless?”

“Shut up. Don’t say things like that. Look at what you managed to change since you got sent back! For the better and for the worse. Every action has consequences. You know that better than anyone.”

“The butterfly effect.” Max sniffed. 

“Exactly!” Chloe said, putting her hands on Max’s shoulders. “And yes a lot of weird shit has happened, but we’ve had a lot of good as well. Without you, the loves of my life would not be sleeping in the same bed as me. Hell, I watched you save Victoria Chase’s life, at the time she didn’t give a rats ass about you. And now? She’s a decent human being!” 

“Really? That’s not how you felt last night.”

“You know that was just a dumb front. I was actually really impressed with Victoria.”

Max giggled. “True.” She looked at the bedroom door and sighed. “After last night, do we wanna tell Rachel about this?”

Chloe shook her head. “Not for now. Max, listen…” Chloe stepped forward and pulled Max in for a tight hug. “You have changed so much. And most of it is good. You’ve also changed as a person, again in a good way. I used to miss the days when we were dumb kids, running around Arcadia Bay in our pirate gear. But we’ve grown since then. Now, we’re dumb adults running around Arcadia Bay.” She giggled. “The more things change, the more they stay the same, you feel?”

Max sniffed. “Yeah. Chloe?”

“Yeah?” 

“You have no idea how weird this feels with your boobs out.”

“Shut up. You love it.” Chloe said, but broke the hug anyway. “Hey, you got Warren’s flash drive still?”

“Yeah.”

Chloe smirked. “Weekend movie marathon?”

Max grinned. “Hell yeah.”

*

Whilst three teenage women sat on their couch laughing, crying, and occasionally screaming at their TV, a photography teacher was having a heated conversation through his cellphone. 

“What do you mean she just ‘left’?” Jefferson snarled. 

“I mean she just fucking left! She and those two fucking dyke bitches. Price and Caulfield.” A voice replied. 

“I torched that bar for nothing!” Jefferson growled, keeping his voice low. “Having the party at the estate was the perfect opportunity. You have failed.”

“You can’t blame me! Security was way too tight. Eyes fucking everywhere. And you know how-“

“Don’t say names out loud, idiot! Walls have ears. You of all people should know that.” Jefferson interrupted. He sighed. “Fine. Fine. Okay. Did you see what happened?”

“Yeah. I was watching them. They were panicking, running through the crowd until they found Rachel at the bar. Then suddenly Price just snatched the drink out of Rachel’s hand right as Rachel was about to drink it.”

“They were panicking? Interesting.” Jefferson said, scratching his goatee. 

“What do you mean?”

“Perhaps we’ve been going about this the wrong way.” Jefferson mumbled, then smirked. “I think we need to take a new approach to this. The next vortex club party is on Thursday, and luckily for me, I’m going to be there.”

“What’s your plan?”

“Let’s just say I’m looking forward to seeing the entries for Everyday Heroes Contest.”

“Cryptic, as usual. I wish you’d give me a straight answer.”

“You don’t know enough about my line of work or the stakes here!” Jefferson growled. “When I need you, I’ll get you. For now, just keep an eye on Rachel Amber and her two compatriots.”

“You sure you don’t wanna try someone else? You said yourself that-“

“No! She’s perfect. And, we have leverage. Thanks to a certain someone.”

“Hmph. How’s the place looking?” 

Jefferson grinned. “Coming along rather well actually. I’ve just put a few touches here and there. I even got the sheets set up. I’m sure our esteemed host won’t mind us using her place.”

“Who even gives a shit?”

“Exactly. You’re on to it. Anyway, I’d better go. You know the rules. Don’t call me, I call you.”

“Yes boss. You know I’m still waiting for my end of the deal.”

“I know!” Jefferson chuckled. “Don’t worry. Once I’m done, they’ll be all yours.”

“Good.” The person said and then hung up. 

“Alright. Where was I? Ah, yes.” Jefferson pocketed his phone and grabbed his camera, walking over to his wonderful new setup. “Thank you for letting me use your place by the way. You’ve been most co-operative.”

“Mmm! Hmmm!” The woman cried, struggling against the duct tape which bounded her limbs and covered her mouth.

“Ahaha!” Jefferson laughed. “That’s enough of that.” He grabbed a syringe and filled it up with a clear liquid. He walked over to the woman lying on the sheet and pricked her neck. “Don’t worry, we’ll make a portfolio out of you yet. A test trial, if you will. Now go to sleep, my subject.”

The woman cursed Jefferson inwardly as she slowly felt her eyes droop. Within seconds, she was unconscious. 

*

“Rose, do you think I’m a bad father?” James Amber asked, lowering his newspaper. He pushed his glasses down so they were resting on the top of his nose and looked up at his wife, who is in the kitchen cooking dinner. 

“James, I love you. You have been a perfect husband to me and-“

“That wasn’t what I asked.”

“Please don’t interrupt.” She sighed. “Sorry. I know how stressed you are with all this.” She turned off the stove and walked over to her husband, who got off his armchair and hugged her. “Did you call Rachel?” 

“No answer.”

“Same here. I hope she’s not mad at me.”

“She’s mad at me. That’s for sure. Am I a bad father?” James asked again. 

“No James, you aren’t. You did what you had to do to protect her.”

“I’m starting to think it wasn’t her I was protecting.”

Rose looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

“Something her friend, Chloe, said to me once. I dismissed it then, but now it’s coming back, eating away at me like a tumour. What if I was only aiming to protect myself? My reputation? Chloe knows all about a ruined reputation, it only makes sense.”

“James, you saved Rachel’s life. With Sera around, Rachel was in danger.”

“Yes, but I shouldn’t have hid her from Rachel. Or at the very least not for that long.”

“Unfortunately, you’re right.”

“Your honesty is why I married you, honey.” James smiled. 

Rose laughed. She walked back over to the stove and continued cooking. 

James sighed. “I just hope I can tell her that soon. Tell her that I’m sorry.”

“And you will. When was the last time you saw Sera? Maybe we could arrange dinner for all of us. The whole Amber family. Once Merrick is caught of course.”

James nodded, scratching his 5 o’clock shadow. “That sounds like a good idea. I’ll visit Sera next weekend.”

“Good idea. I’ll call Rachel again later tonight. Can you set the table please? Dinner’s almost ready.” 

“Sure thing, honey.”

*

Joyce sighed as she walked in the front door of her house. She took off her jacket and hung it up. David was whistling to himself in the kitchen. 

“That’s a nice tune.” Joyce smiled.

David sighed. “I’m trying to distract myself, but I don’t think it’s working.”

“Distract yourself from what?”

David shook his head. “We promised to talk more to each other about stuff at work, didn’t we?”

“More importantly, anything that’s on our minds.” Joyce pointed out. “Let me take over.”

David looked at his wife, then silently relented, letting her stir the sausages. “It’s just that… work’s getting pretty tough lately. Between the Prescott kid going ape on his friend and Wells…”

“What about Principal Wells?” Joyce asked, immediately concerned.

“Ah, it’s classified, I’m afraid. I can’t say. I’ve already said too much.” David said hurriedly. 

Joyce looked sternly at him. 

“No, seriously. He said himself to keep it confidential. It would be the equivalent of you giving me the bank account details and social security numbers of your employees.”

Joyce shrugged. “You’re not the only one who’s stressed.” She sighed, turning off the stove. “I don’t even feel like cooking.”

David nodded. “Maybe it’s time we had a quiet night in. Do you wanna sit down and watch a movie after I’ve finished dinner?”

Joyce smiled. “That would be lovely.” She sighed and looked at the photos on the fridge. “It seems a lot of our nights are quiet now.”

“I miss Chloe, too.” David sighed. “Goddamnit. I always feel like I missed too many opportunities with her.” 

Joyce laughed. “She’s not dead, David. Despite her best efforts.”

“That’s morbid.” David chuckled.

“Now you know where she gets it from. At the very least, she’s happy, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted for her. Happy and safe.”

“Yeah. So maybe it’s time we set the worrying aside.” David smiled, walking over to the fridge. He opened it and pulled out a bottle of wine. “Our night.”

“Oh honey, thank you. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Joyce.”

*

“I’m worried about Max.” Vanessa Caulfield sighed, briefly putting down her book. 

“Honey, you’re always worried about Max.” Ryan Caulfield chuckled, handing his wife a cup of tea and sitting down on the couch next to her. 

“She’s not answering any of my texts!” 

“Well, she’s in her last year of high school, and she’s living with Chloe and her friend. She’s probably just incredibly busy.”

“Too busy for her parents?”

“Now, now, Vanessa.” Ryan cooed. “Let’s cut out that talk. Give her some time, some space! When was the last time she replied to you?”

“Three days ago.” Vanessa murmured. 

“See? That’s not too bad. How many messages have you sent her since then? She’s probably overwhelmed.”

“That’s not- ugh.” Vanessa sighed. “That’s not it, really. Her report card came in today, and that’s why I’m worried.”

“Why? Did you read it?” Ryan looked concerned. 

“Of course I did! I wanted to talk to Max about it, but she’s not responding.”

“Was it bad?” 

“No, her grades were pretty good actually. But it was just comments from a couple teachers. Most of them are positive, but her photography teacher, Mark Jefferson, said something really weird.”

“Weird? What do you mean?”

“The Max he describes is nothing like the Max we raised, at all.” Vanessa looked at her husband. “He says she’s antisocial, and regularly lashes out at a couple of her classmates.” 

“That is weird.” Ryan said, scratching his beard. “Max gets along with everybody. In fact, I thought she hated confrontation. Is this teacher on drugs or something?”

“Stop it, Ryan.” Vanessa replied. “He also says he’s fairly sure Max hates him, and that’s what confuses me the most. He’s an esteemed photographer! Why would Max hate him?”

“Maybe she just doesn’t like his work.” Ryan shrugged. “Or his personality. Apparently a few critics have regarded him as aloof, and one even went as far as to call him pretentious. I imagine that cut him deep.” 

“This is Max’s teacher, not a snooty fashion designer. There’s no reason for Max to appear so standoffish to him.”

“Maybe he doesn’t like Max.”

“No, that’s not what I got from the report. In fact, I’d say he loved Max. He says she’s one of his favourite students. Always answering questions in class, very intelligent, a brilliant and insightful artist, but he says he can’t help but feel like Max doesn’t trust him or his teachings, says she has a tendency to be nosey.” 

“Well, we know all about her nosiness.” Ryan laughed. “But yes, I see your concern. Maybe wait until tomorrow and we’ll give her a ring. It is pretty late already. Speaking of…” Ryan looked at his watch. “I better head to bed. Early start tomorrow.”

“Sunday Bloody Sunday.” Vanessa smiled. “Goodnight, honey.”

“Goodnight, darling.”

*

“No fucking way am I watching Cannibal Holocaust.” Rachel insisted. “Fuck that.”

“Why? You scared, Amber?” Chloe smirked. 

“You know, they killed real animals when they filmed that, right?”

Chloe stared at her. “No? What the fuck? Ah shit, hold on- Joyce is calling me.” She grabbed her phone. 

“Mom’s calling me too-“ Max said, also reaching for her phone.

Rachel blinked, reaching for her phone as it buzzed. She silently picked it up and declined it. “Can this wait?” She asked. “It’s really weird our parents all decided to call us at the same time, and we’re having a nice night together.”

Chloe and Max looked at each other. 

“I’ll call you later. Love you.” They both said, before hanging up.

“You’re right.” Chloe said. 

“Mom apparently wanted to go over my report card, since she read that today.”

“Oh dear God you poor thing.” Chloe winced. 

Max sighed. “Can we take a break, though? Some of Warren’s ‘cult classics’ are giving me a headache.”

“What? Pulp Fiction too much for you?” Chloe said smugly. 

“I swear to God if I have to see one more gratuitous boob shot-“ Max fumed. “Some of the shit he has is genuinely disgusting.”

“Looks like Alien is next.” Rachel smiled. “That’s a good one.” 

“Oh God.” Max pulled a face. “Yeah. I’ll need a moment before we get into that.”

Surprisingly, Chloe didn’t try to quip on that. Instead, she was sympathetic. “Of course. It’s pretty graphic after all. I’m gonna make some tea. Do we have any popcorn?”

“No, don’t think so.” Rachel sighed. “Pretty sure you ate it all.”

“Goddamnit. It’s too late to go out and buy some either.” 

“Shit, what time is it?” Max checked her phone. “It’s like 11pm. Why the hell did our parents all try to call us at 11 o’clock at night?”

“Cause they knew we weren’t gonna be asleep?” Chloe replied. Flicking the switch on the kettle.

“Tou-fucking-ché.” Max grinned.

“Maybe it’s a sign.” Rachel suggested. She tilted her head, deep in thought. 

“What do you mean?” Max asked. 

“I don’t know, the people we first look to for guidance are all trying to contact us before we get into the messiest week of our lives?”

Max gulped. “Do you think we should have answered them then?”

Rachel thought for a moment. “No. We did the right thing. I’m not saying we should go through this on our own, but it can wait, you know?”

“Tomorrow. I’m making that a promise.”

“Aye aye, cap’n.” Chloe said. 

“I…” Rachel trailed off. She stood up and walked over to the window. “Yeah. Sure.” 

Max stood up and walked over to Rachel, reaching her arms all the way around her waist and resting her head against the back of Rachel’s neck. “I know it’s hard.”

“No, you don’t. You weren’t there.” Rachel said, her voice slowly breaking.

Chloe, sensing the tension, walked over. She smirked. She wrapped her arms around both Rachel and Max’s thin bodies. “I love having long arms.” 

Max laughed. “Stop tickling!” She cried. 

“What? Tickle, you say?” Chloe said. “Well if you insist!” Chloe proceeded to start tickling Max and Rachel. Max kept laughing, but Rachel was growing more angry. She pushed hard off the windowsill, knocking Chloe and Max backwards. 

“Would you quit it?” She yelled, turning around and flashing an angry glare. Chloe was stunned. Max looked like she was going to cry. 

“Sorry, Rach.” Chloe mumbled. 

Rachel turned back around and sighed. “Sorry.” She placed her hands on the windowsill and looked out the window. Max stepped forward to comfort her, but Chloe stopped her. 

“Go finish the tea. I’ll handle this.” 

Max nodded. 

“The stars are very beautiful tonight.” Chloe said, standing next to Rachel at the window. 

“Are you kidding? This whole town is light-polluted. It’s practically pitch-black.” Rachel growled. 

“I know. There’s a few nice ones. Like there! That looks like Orion’s belt. Almost.”

Rachel giggled. 

Chloe sighed. “But I wasn’t just talking about the stars in the sky.” She looked down and smiled at Rachel. “What’s the point of looking up at the sky at some crazy hour at night, when I have the most beautiful star shining in front of me 24/7?” 

“Chloe I-“ Rachel was stunned. “When the hell did you get so romantic?”

_ “As long as you’re my partner in time.”  _ Chloe’s voice rang in Max’s head. A bygone timeline. Max found it odd how good Chloe was with words. “I think you mean cheesy.” She said, bringing mugs of tea over. 

“You are the queen of cheese, Caulfield.” Chloe rolled her eyes. “Now you’ve ruined the moment.”

Max smiled. “I’m sorry, Chloe.” She set the mugs down on the table and joined her lovers at the window. “It really is beautiful.”

“Oh God, not you too. Listen, I’m the resident astrology here.” Rachel said. 

“I know.” Max nodded. “I’m talking about the town. For a dumb shithole Arcadia Bay does look pretty at night.”

“Yeah, pretty shitty.” Chloe laughed. “No, I get what you mean. I remember looking down on it, from the old mill, years ago. I didn’t understand how much I actually appreciated living here. Yes I still wanna get out but God…”

“Hold on…” Max quickly grabbed her camera. “Can you open the window?”

Rachel nodded and lifted the window as far as it could go. Outside, a helicopter flew overhead. Max leaned out, carefully holding the camera out the window as she took a picture. 

“Nice!” Max said excitedly, briefly flapping the polaroid. 

“Damn, Max.” Chloe said, briefly looking at the photo. “I didn't know that camera was so powerful. My phone wouldn’t be able to get shit from this.”

“Ah, the moon is but a guiding mistress, helping those who seek the truth and the beautiful.” Rachel said, putting on a funny narrator voice. 

“Alright Shakespeare.” Max said.  _ “Until there’s two of them…”  _ Max thought, doing her best to hide her shudder. 

Chloe pulled her and Rachel in towards her, and they all wrapped their arms around each other, staring out the window in silence. They stood for several minutes. Chloe, still looking out the window, spoke. 

“You said something to me, Rachel. A long time ago, when we first met. About the stars. Do you remember that?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Rachel sniffed. “I try not to think about those times.”

“I do. I’ve never forgotten.” Chloe sighed. “It was in your bedroom, after I set up that torch.”

“Oh yeah. I remember now. That was sweet.” Rachel smiled.

“You looked at me and said, ‘Who cares if the stars are dead? As long as we can still see them, that means they’re real. To us.’ That was beautiful.”

“I say a lot of things.”

“Yeah, a lot of beautiful things, Rachel.” Chloe looked at her. 

“Oh crap! The tea!” Max cried suddenly. She hustled over back to the couch and sat down, drinking her tea. “It’s still warm. Thank God.”

Chloe rolled her eyes and sat down. “Max, you worry too much. We could have just blasted it in the microwave once we were done.”

“I’m sorry.” Max said instinctively. 

“And there you go, apologising again.” Chloe admonished. “It’s fine. There’s no need to apologise. It’s good that you interrupted. I wanna get into the scary shit!” 

Rachel briefly rubbed her elbow, before slowing sitting back down, picking up her tea and sipping it in silence. 

Max saw Rachel’s decrease in mood, but her body language also suggested to Max that she need not address it. Chloe was too excited about continuing their marathon to notice. Chloe started up the next movie. Rachel smiled like nothing was wrong.  _ “Star actress indeed…”  _

7 hours later, the girls had finished Warren’s entire movie collection, and Max was up to her 5th cup of coffee. Her body begged her to sleep. 

“Wow. I can’t believe we fucking did it.” Max giggled sleepily.

“Was it worth it?” Chloe asked.

“Probably not.” Rachel yawned and stretched.

“Oh come on, surely you enjoyed it.” Chloe goaded

“I did. And don’t call me Shirley.” Rachel smirked, very proud of herself.

“That was the best movie on there by FAR.” Max said.

“Oh come on, what about Akira? The fucker even had Blade Runner for crying out loud!”

“Ah yes, the one where we all fell asleep.” Max said. “But yes, Akira was very good. Not a single Ghibli film on there. Warren is all darkness and no light.”

“Ghibli film marathon next weekend then!” Chloe smirked. 

“What’s Ghibli?” Rachel asked.

Chloe stared. “You know, Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo, Spirited Away, all that anime shit?”

“Oh, Ponyo!” Rachel laughed. “Of course. I didn’t know that was the name of the genre.”

“Oh no, that’s the creator. Studio Ghibli films.” Max explained. “Yes. Ghibli films next weekend.” She yawned. “Alright, let’s get to bed. I’m practically feeling asleep already.”

“Good idea.” Rachel yawned, causing Chloe to yawn also. “But I can’t move. Someone has to carry me.”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “What is it with you two and wanting to be carried everywhere?”

“What can I say? I love being held in the big strong arms of a woman. I’m a simple dyke.” Rachel smiled innocently.

“Oh, how can I deny that face?” Chloe smiled. “Up up, bubba!” She lifted up Rachel and cradled her into the bedroom. Max laughed and rolled her eyes as she followed.

“Goodnight, you dorks.” Max said, flipping the light switch.

“Goodnight, Max. Goodnight Rachel.” Chloe said. 

“Goodnight, my loves.” Rachel said, but Chloe was already asleep. “Wow. Out like a fucking light.”

“That’s gonna be in a second.” Max said, crawling up to Rachel and kissing her. 

“Max…” Rachel said. “Thank you. For tonight. I really enjoyed that. Sorry for being a major bitch. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

Max’s mind briefly flashed back to the notes she found in Frank’s RV. She shook the memories off. “No, not at all. All is forgiven.” Max kissed her again. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Rachel smiled. She lay down on her pillow and immediately fell asleep. 

Max looked up and saw the first semblance of sunrise beneath the curtains. She smirked. “Hello world. I’m ready for your punk ass on Monday. Max to the future.”


	33. Monday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 10/07/2013

It began with a vision. One completely ordinary Monday, in a timeline which seemed like a million years ago. The terror Max felt as she got out of bed that morning shook her to the core. She didn’t even bother to hide it, Chloe and Rachel already knew. Max almost skipped school, but she didn’t want anyone to worry. She begrudgingly made her way through the day, saying a few polite words to people. She dreaded going into her photography class. As she stood outside the classroom door, her heart was racing. 

“This is it.” She whispered aloud to herself. She checked her phone. No new messages. She pocketed it and then immediately took it back out. “2:50, Monday, October 7th.” She read aloud. She exhaled deeply. She opened the door and walked into her classroom. Everyone was already in class, milling about, talking to people. Jefferson smiled and waved. Max ignored him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him scowl. She felt liquid drip down her back, and she realised she was sweating. _ “Ugh, ew!” _She thought to herself. She could feel her pink doe t-shirt stick to her. She shivered. She walked over to her seat and sat down next to Kate. Kate looked troubled, but smiled at Max. Max didn’t feel like pressing matters. Jefferson stood up and cleared his throat, and everyone gradually made their way to their seats. Max carefully pulled out her stuff and placed it on the table. Jefferson began his tirade, starting by asking everyone how their weekend was, with some murmurs as a class response. 

“Once again, the energy of this class is palpable.” Jefferson chuckled. “Nah, I get it. Days are getting shorter, you guys are working pretty hard this year. I can imagine you’re spending your weekends doing nothing.”

Max leaned forward and almost smacked her head on the table. She moaned. 

“Thank you for reminding me, Max! It’s important that you all get some good sleep. Especially if you happen to win a certain competition.” He winked. Max moaned again. 

“You okay, Max?” Kate whispered.

Max nodded. “Sorry, my head hurts. Had a big weekend.”

Kate recoiled. “I thought you didn’t like alcohol.”

Max giggled. “Haha no! We had a movie marathon. Got Warren to thank for that. Stayed up all night Saturday.”

Kate rolled her eyes but smiled. “Of course you did. You deserve it.”

Max winced. “Ah!” 

“You okay, Max?” Kate asked. “Do you need some tyl-”

Max’s head was swimming. “Oh God… Kate.. no… this can’t be happening… not now... “ She clutched her head and moaned. 

“Mr. Jefferson!” Kate cried. 

Jefferson stopped and turned. “Max!” He cried, running over.

“No! Get away!” Max cried. “Not again! This can’t be happening! This can’t be ha-” Her cries were cut off as she blacked out. 

*

_ BOOM! CRACK! _

“Ugh…” Max moaned. She was face down in the dirt, wind and rain pelting her back. She slowly sat up. “How did I get here…? And where is here?” She stood up and looked around. “What? How? I was just in-” She stopped. She looked at the sign in front of her.

_ “The Lighthouse.” _

“No. No! NO!” Max screamed. “I can’t be here! This isn’t right!” She clutched her head, feeling the roots of her hair tug at her scalp. Lightning flashed, thunder cracked. “AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” Max screamed, throwing her head back as she let out her cry. She could hear scuttles in the bushes behind her. Tree branches struck her, threatening to fall over. She pressed forward. “I gotta… get to the lighthouse…” She gradually made her way up the hill, shielding her face from the strong power of the elements. As she approached the top of the hill, her horrors were realised. “No! How can this still be happening? I thought I fixed everything!” She looked out towards the giant tornado approaching the shoreline of the Bay. “WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT ME TO DO!?” She yelled. She fell to her knees on the edge of the cliff. She heard thunder clap over her head, and looked up to see the top of the lighthouse come tumbling towards her. “NO!”

*

_ “Woah!” _ Max thought as she was violently jerked back to reality. She felt her chair tip backwards slightly. Kate gave her an odd look. _ “I’m back in class…” _Max thought, struggling to uncloud her thoughts. She shook her head. 

“Alfred Hitchcock famously called films, ‘Little pieces of time’. But he could have been talking about photography, as he likely was…” Jefferson explained.

_ “What the fuck…?” _ Max whispered. _ “This can’t be happening again. _” She looked to her left and saw Taylor scrunching up a paper ball. She threw it, and it hit Kate right in the face.

“Ow!” Kate winced quietly. Max flashed her eyes angrily at Taylor, whose eyes widened as she frantically mimed an apology. Victoria had her hand up and Jefferson called on her.

_ “Please don’t let her phone ring please don’t let her phone ring please don’t let her phone ring-” _

_ “Bzzt!” _ Victoria’s phone vibrated on her table.

_ “Shit!” _Max frowned. 

“Diane Arbus!” Victoria answered, albeit nowhere near as enthusiastically as she did the last three times Max had seen her do it.

“There you go, Victoria!” Jefferson replied eagerly. “Why Arbus?”

“Because of her images of hopeless faces…” Victoria’s face faded as Max began collecting her thoughts. 

_ “I can’t- no…” _ She felt tears forming in her eyes and sniffed. _ “Shit! Does this mean-” _ Her heart stopped. _ “Oh no…” _

“Hello, Max.” Jefferson suddenly said. Max jumped. “Welcome back to the real world. I really wish you would stop spacing out in class, you’re a wonderful student when you pay attention. We’ll talk more after class.”

Victoria giggled, then shut up when Max glared at her. 

“But, since I do have your attention now, can you please tell us the name of the process that gave birth to the first self-portrait?”

_ “Oh God…” _Max thought. She cleared her throat. “The Daguerreian Process. Invented by a french painter named Louis Daguerre, around 1830.”

“Nice work, Max! See? I told you you were a remarkable student when you listened. I promise you, I’m not that boring.”

Max absent-mindedly nodded and looked down at the table. 

“You okay, Max?” Kate asked.

Max shook her head. “I’ll tell you later. You look like you’ve been through hell.”

Kate chuckled. “I spent all weekend worrying about you. That’s all. You got a photo for the Everyday Heroes Contest yet?”

Max blinked. She reached into her bag and pulled out the photo she took that weekend. The helicopter shone clear as day, illuminated by the lights of Arcadia Bay. “Yeah. I think so. I don’t think it’ll win, but it’s worth handing in.”

“That’s the spirit, Max.” Kate smiled. “Regardless, I'm confident that you’ll win. You’re a much better photographer than everyone else in this room combined.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, missy. I’m just some girl.” Max said.

Before Kate could reply, the bell rang. 

“And guys don’t forget the deadline to submit a photo in the Everyday Heroes Contest. I’ll fly out with the winner to San Francisco where you’ll be feted by the art world. It’s great exposure and it can kickstart a career in photography. So Stella and Alyssa, get it together. Taylor, don’t hide. And yes Max, I see you pretending not to see me.” Jefferson frowned at her and then walked over to his desk.

_ “Bastard._” Max scowled. Kate stood up and waved at Max as she left, leaving her and Jefferson as the last two in class. She sighed and walked towards the classroom. 

“I see you, Max Caulfield.” Jefferson said. “Don’t even think about leaving until we talk about your entry.”

_ “This can’t be happening…” _Max thought. She turned around and walked over to him.

“I’d never let one of photography’s future stars avoid handing in her picture.” Jefferson smiled.

“Yeah. Sure. It’s right here.” Max said, handing him her photo.

“Oh. Well. That was easy.”

_ “No. It wasn’t easy at all.” _Max thought, this time keeping it to herself.

“Well, um-” Jefferson started, but Max was already walking out the door. “One second, Miss Caulfield.” He said angrily. “Please don’t be rude. I’m frankly rather sick of you not paying attention in class and walking out while I’m talking to you? Your parents will hear about this, young lady.”

Max grinned. “Watch me give a shit.” She closed the door.

“MAX!” Jefferson yelled. 

Max grinned. She leaned up against the wall outside the classroom. She held out her right hand, giggling as she saw her classmates walk backwards. “That should do it.” She waited to see if Jefferson would burst open the door angrily, demanding an audience. When he did not, Max felt satisfied. She walked down the school hall towards the main doors. As she walked past the bathroom, she heard voices.

Angry voices.

That she recognised.

“Chloe?” Max whispered to herself. “Nathan?” Her face turned white. _ “No. No no no. This can’t be real. Not again.” _

“I know you’ve been pumping drugs and shit to kids around here. I bet your sister wouldn’t be too happy to hear what her little brother has been doing for homework!” Chloe cried.

“Leave her out of this, bitch!”

_ “Word for fucking word…” _ Max thought. _ “Which could only mean-” _

“And what about that girl Samantha? Huh? I saw her at the party, looking stressed and blazed out of her fucking mind. I know it was you who spiked Rachel’s drink. What the fuck did you do to her?”

“You don’t know who the fuck I am, or who you’re messing around with!” Nathan screamed.

“Where’d you get that?” Chloe’s voice lowered, scared. 

“That’s it!” Max cried as she barged her shoulder into the door, knocking Chloe into Nathan. Nathan fell on his back, the gun flying through the air. 

“Fuck!” Nathan winced as his head smacked on the tile floor. 

Chloe quickly grabbed his gun. 

“Chloe! Come on!” Max cried. 

“Come out, Rachel. You can drop the mop too.” 

Rachel peaked around the corner and saw Max. She dropped the mop and sheepishly walked over Nathan, who was slowly picking himself up. 

“You’re all fucking dead!” He snarled. 

Chloe grabbed Rachel’s hand and they bolted out of the bathroom and out the main doors. 

“WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU GUYS THINKING!?” Max shouted.

“I didn’t think he’d still have a gun.” Chloe murmured. “You said Victoria took it, after all.”

“WELL OF COURSE HE’S GONNA HAVE A FUCKING BACKUP!” Max snarled. “God. I can’t believe you two. What were you trying to do?”

“Get information out of him.” Rachel answered. 

“You could have died. Both of you.” Max sighed. “Sorry. I’m just- I’ve had a pretty shitty day.”

“Let’s sit down.” Rachel suggested, walking over to the fountain. Chloe and Max followed, sitting down on the edge of the fountain.

“You guys know how stupid that was, right?” Max asked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well- we didn’t want you to worry. We thought we could have handled it.” Chloe said. 

“Okay, sure. Well done. Glad that totally worked.” Max said sarcastically. “Anyway. I wanna go home. We’ll talk later.” 

Chloe and Rachel looked at each other. “Are you?” Rachel asked. “I mean-”

“Yes. Let’s go.” Max growled. She stood up. Chloe and Rachel followed closely behind Max as she walked. Max felt her phone buzz and she took it out of her pocket. “Ah, Warren wants to see me.”

“Of course he does.” Chloe said.

“He wants his flash drive back.”

“Oh. Well that makes sense.”

“He’s in the parking lot.”

“Well, that works out.” Rachel said. 

They walked towards the parking lot, where Warren was leaning against an old blue car. He waved to them.

Max stopped and turned around. “Can you-” She cut herself off. “Can you guys wait in the truck? I just- I just wanna talk to Warren in private.”

Rachel eyed Max suspiciously. Chloe grabbed her arm. “Come on, Rach. Don’t be too long, Max!” 

“I have all the time in the world.” Max said to herself. She walked over to Warren.

“Hey Warren.” She smiled and gave him a hug. “How are you?”

“I’m alright. How have you been?” Warren asked. He looked troubled, almost perfectly mirroring Kate’s face at the beginning of photography class. Max eyed him. 

“It’s been one strange fucking day.” Max smiled, handing Warren his flash drive.

“Tell me about it.” Warren said. “Like, I mean, seriously. What happened?”

“Everything.” Max muttered. “Literally that whole class played out nearly exactly the same as it did in the original timeline.” 

“How do you mean?”

“Kate had a paper ball thrown at her, Victoria’s phone rang, she talked about Diane Arbus, Jefferson asked me a question about Daguerreotypes- literally everything. So many small details.”

“And you think that’s important, somehow?” Warren asked.

“It’s not like you to reject evidence.”

“It’s not evidence, it’s a theory, Max. What else happened.”

“I had a vision. Of the tornado.”

“Okay, woah.” Warren stood up and backed away slightly. “That is evidence. Why didn’t you just start with that?”

Max shrugged. “I haven’t told Chloe and Rachel yet.”

“How come? You guys were just together.”

“I caught them in the girl’s bathroom, interrogating Nathan Prescott, who had a gun.”

“A gun!?” Warren cried, then looked around. “Like, another one?”

Max nodded. “And this is exactly what happened the last Monday, October 7th, 2013 I experienced. Except, minus Rachel, of course.”

“Y-yeah.” Warren stuttered. “So what do you think is going to happen?”

“I don’t know!” Max cried. “If I have another tornado vision, that might be it! It might be a fixed point in time and all of this was for nothing!” 

“Max, Max, calm down!” Warren gently grabbed Max’s shoulders.

“I’m scared, Warren.” Max sniffed. 

“I know. I’m scared too. But we can still change the future, right?”

“You said going back in time is what caused the storm.” Max sniffed again. “And like, the ball lightning from the party. What if it snows again today? What do I do, Warren?”

“That’s enough, Max. We’ll figure something out.”

“Max Caulfield, right?” A voice called from behind her.

“Get the hell outta here, Prescott.”

Nathan ignored him, shoving him aside. “So. You and your little girlfriends wanted to give me a lecture, huh? Well I don’t take kindly to that sort of thing.”

“What did you do at the party, Nathan?”

“I ASK THE QUESTIONS HERE!” Nathan growled. 

“Awfully reminiscent.” Max muttered to herself. “Alright, Prescott. Ask away.”

“How much do you know, Caulfield?” Nathan asked. 

“Enough to know Samantha Myers probably needs some serious therapy.”

“She’s not a part of this.” Nathan grinned. “I think you’re lying. You know way more. I’ve seen the way you look at the students around here. Little psychoanalyst Max Caulfield. You even turned Victoria against me.”

“That was your fault, Prescott. You threatened her with a gun.”

“I did not!” Prescott’s voice cracked. Warren suppressed a giggle. “She walked in on me at a bad time, that’s all.”

“She saved your life.”

“Don’t analyse me! I pay people to do that.”

“Where is Samantha, Prescott?”

“I told you, she’s not a part of this. Now, if I were you, I’d stay the fuck outta other people’s business.”

“Step the fuck back, Prescott.” Chloe snarled, Nathan’s gun clicking in her fingers as she aimed it. 

Nathan scowled at Chloe and walked away.

“Thanks, Chloe.” Max said. 

“Don’t mention it.” Chloe murmured. “Sorry about earlier. We shouldn’t have scared you like that.”

Max nodded. “It’s cool. Thanks.”

“You’ll be alright?” Warren asked.

“Of course. I’ll see you later.” Max smiled and gave him another hug.

“Tell them.” He whispered in her ear. They broke the hug, and Warren waved to Max as she walked back over to the truck. 

“We need to find Samantha. And fast.” Max said. “She might be Jefferson’s next, or latest, victim.”

“One thing’s for sure, Nathan’s already hit her.” Chloe said through gritted teeth. “That I don’t like. Anyway, we need to stop by my parents house for a bit. Is that cool?”

“Of course. Any reason why?”  
  


“You’re not gonna believe this, but pure nostalgia.” Chloe smirked.

“You’d better not be hiding more shit from me.” Max said.

“No, dead seriously.” Chloe said. “Mom said she found some old stuff for me to go through. Mostly old old stuff. And Dad’s stuff.”

“Are they not the same thing?” Max asked.

“Shut up.” Chloe giggled. She ruffled Max’s hair and then climbed into the truck. Max followed suit and Chloe started it up. “After five years you’re still Max Caulfield.” She smiled. 

“Yeah.” Max said, turning away before Chloe could see her face drop. 

“You good?” Rachel asked, placing her hand on Max’s shoulder.

Max turned and smiled at Rachel. “Yeah. Rough day. That’s all.”

“Well. We’ll be sure to make your evening as fun as possible.” Rachel smiled. 

*

Twenty minutes later, Max found herself in Chloe’s former bedroom, her hands fidgeting as she stood rooted in the centre of the room, watching Chloe sort through various old boxes. Rachel was downstairs, making conversation with David and Joyce.

The room was completely bare, save for a few stray cobwebs. Sunlight shone through the open window, a breeze blowing dead leaves from the rooftop. Max was briefly reminded of the first timeline she abandoned, one she had created that fateful day, forever changing hers and Chloe’s life. 

“Instead of just standing there, do you wanna help me with this?” Chloe asked. 

Max shook her head, signaling her return to reality. “Sorry. Spacing out.”

“Don’t wander too far off, Caulfield.” 

“Hey, that’s a nice photo of you and Rachel.” Max said, picking up a photo from a small metal box. 

“Oh, thanks. Both of us were pissed off and ready to throw shit. Rachel had her gorgeous smile up, as always.” Chloe looked sad briefly, taking the photo from Max and putting it inside her coat pocket. “Uh, keep searching for more stuff. See if we should keep it.” 

Max nodded and began hunting through the various boxes. Old clothes, outdated video-game consoles, and a lot of old photos. _ “Hi, William.” _She thought. It had been a long time since she’d seen a photo of William. Seeing him hug Chloe brought tears to her eyes. She sniffed. She put the photo back in the box before Chloe noticed. 

“I’m coming up!” David growled from downstairs, his footsteps thumping up the stairs.

“David, wait!” Rachel cried. The sound of her footsteps indicated that she was desperately chasing after him.

“Chloe!” David growled. 

Max panicked. She looked at the closet door briefly before looking at Chloe.

“David? What the hell, man?” Chloe muttered. She walked over and opened the door. “What’s got your goat?”

“You don’t think I don’t know what goes on at Blackwell?” He growled. He sighed, letting Rachel in and then closing the door. “I love you, Chloe. But you can’t just make a scene like you did this afternoon. Especially when you’re not a student!” 

“David, what the hell are you talking about?”

“Don’t play games with me, young lady!” David growled. “I thought we were past this.”

Chloe scowled. “Yeah. I thought so too. Why are you yelling at me?”

“Chloe-” David gritted his teeth. He looked back and forth between the three girls. “For God’s sake, stay away from Nathan Prescott. You three don’t know him like I do, okay?”

They all looked away. Max tried her best not to lose her cool. 

“What the hell did you want with him anyway?”

“None of your business.” Chloe said. 

David glared at her. “He’s a Blackwell student, and the incident happened on school grounds. This is _ exactly _my business. I’m trying to be cool here, Chloe. Don’t make this any worse than it already is.”

“We just needed information.” Rachel said suddenly. “We think he’s mixed himself up in some kind of trouble.”

“You’re a brilliant liar, Rachel.” David said, turning to look at her. “But once you know someone’s a liar, they don’t become so good at it anymore.” 

“It’s only half a lie.” Max muttered.

“I heard that.” David said. “Max, I take it you deescalated the incident. Thank you. That could have gotten hairy.”

“I hardly think deescalated is the right word.” Max frowned. “What are you gonna do about Nathan? He brought a _ gun _to school.”

“Unfortunately, he has special consideration considering his issues. However, his sister will be notified, and I imagine his bedroom at the estate will be sweeped for any other weaponry, and he will be suspended for a brief period of time and put back in psychiatrics.” 

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. 

“And what about his connections?” Chloe asked. “We know he has connections to dangerous people.”

David walked close to her and leaned down. “No, you don’t. You think you do based on your preconceptions.” David walked towards the bedroom door.

“He tried to drug Rachel at the Vortex Club Party!” Chloe screamed. 

David stopped. He turned around slowly. “Are you sure?”

Chloe said nothing, her heavy breathing becoming the only audible sound in the room. 

“Chloe, do you have substantial evidence that he did?”

Chloe licked her lips. “No. But someone did.” 

“Nathan was staring at us as we left the party.” Max shuddered. “He looked ready to kill someone.”

“And you decided,” David spoke slowly. “To try and confront him, in his paranoid state, to ask who he may be working for?”

“How do you know he’s working for someone?” Chloe asked quickly. 

David grimaced. “Just stay away from him, alright? For your own safety. I will look into the situation further.” David walked back towards the door.

“Why you? We can handle this.” Chloe replied.

David gripped the door handle tight. He spoke without turning around. “Because I’m expendable, Chloe. You three aren’t.” He opened the door and left the bedroom. 

Rachel gulped. “You think he knows what’s going on?”

“Yeah, what the hell did that mean?” Chloe asked. She shook her head violently.

“Breathe, Chloe.” Max said soothingly. 

“I’m fine, Max.” Chloe said, gradually slowing her breaths. “That was just… weird.”

“You’re telling me…” Max muttered. She looked again at the closet door. _ “Why is everything happening the same as before?” _

“We should get outta here.” Chloe said. “I don’t feel safe anymore. I wanna go chill somewhere.”

  
“Where?” Rachel asked.

“I dunno. Just gonna hit the road and see where we turn up.”

“What about the boxes?” Max asked.

“Ah.” Chloe knelt down and quickly rummaged through the boxes again. “Nothing really here I wanna keep. I might just take these photographs and-” She stopped. “Holy shit I didn’t know this was in here!” She whooped excitedly, grabbing something from the box and standing up. 

“What is it?” Rachel asked. Max had a suspicion she knew what it was. 

Chloe turned towards Max and smiled. “Happy belated birthday, Max.” She handed Max the object. “This was my dad’s camera. I want you to have it.”

“Chloe, I…” Max took it and stared at it. “I can’t accept this. I already have a perfectly good camera, anyway.”

“That thing looks like it’ll fall apart the next time you grab it.” Chloe said. “Besides, Dad wouldn’t want this camera collecting dust. He’ll rest easier knowing a true artist is using his tools.” 

Max looked at the camera, turning it over in her hands. It was smaller and a lot easier to carry. It felt good in her hands. She looked back up. “Chloe, I-”

“Nope. Not taking no for an answer buddy.” Chloe interrupted, pivoting on her heel and walking out of the bedroom. “Come on, let’s go!”

Max put the camera in her bag and followed Rachel out the door, shaking her head.

*

“Oh.” Chloe said as she stopped the truck. “I didn’t plan on coming here. Here we are.”

“Did your brain go on autopilot or something?” Rachel asked. “That’s worrying.”

“Well, I guess we’re here now. This is one of the best spots to watch the sunset anyway, so go figure.” Chloe smiled and made her way up the hill.

Max felt woozy. _ “I desperately need to go to sleep. Or get some water. Probably both. _” She blindly followed Rachel and Chloe up the path, barely paying attention to her surroundings. It wasn’t until she saw the sign that it dawned on her. “CHLOE!” She yelled.

Chloe quickly came running down. “Yeah? What is it?”

“Why the hell are we here?” Max growled, pointing at the sign. 

“Ah. Didn’t think of that.” Chloe said. “Are you gonna be okay? We can go back to the truck if you want-”

“No.” Max sighed. “It’s fine. You two seem like you’re having fun. It is nice out here.” She smiled. “Go back on ahead. I might just take a couple of photos with my new camera.” She took the camera out of her bag and wiggled it. “Thanks, by the way.”

“Don’t mention it.” Chloe giggled. “Don’t be too slow. You could get a great picture of the sunset.”

Max thought for a moment. “Yeah. Sounds good.” Max watched as her oldest best friend walked back up towards the cliff. Max looked around. A small bird flew onto a rock next to Max. _ “How serendipitous.” _ Max thought. She lined up her camera and took the shot. She shook the polaroid photo and smiled. She looked up the hill. Chloe and Rachel were out of sight. Max sighed and made her way up the hill. She could birds chirp and crickets squeak in the bushes. 

_ BOOM! _

Max shook her head. She walked past the stack of logs, around the abandoned campfire, until she came to…

“The Lighthouse.” She whispered aloud. 

The Lighthouse stood in all its glory, untouched by the elements. The glass top reflected the rays of sun that hit it from the coast, briefly blinding Max. Max turned her head towards the cliff. Chloe was sitting down on the bench, smoking a cigarette. Rachel was standing on the edge of the cliff, her arms outstretched. Max smiled. She placed one knee on the ground and took a photo. She walked to the bench and sat next to Chloe. 

“You guys are in a good mood.” Max said, shielding her eyes from the sun. 

Rachel turned around and sat down on the bench between Max and Chloe. “I haven’t been up here since I was a kid.” 

“Me neither.” Chloe said. “Remember our pirate fort?”

  
“How could I forget? It’s still on the map.” Max said.

“Is it?” Chloe’s eyes perked up as her jaw dropped. “I’mma go check.” Chloe quickly ran towards the map and ran back. “Holy shit it is! After so long…”

“It’s like a part of history now.” 

“History… yeah.” Chloe looked out towards the coast. “It doesn’t seem like that long ago. For you it must feel like a century.” She chuckled.

“More than that. A thousand years.”

“Wow, Caulfield. Was I really that boring?” Chloe laughed.

Max laughed. She sighed. “What did you want with Nathan?”

“I told you. Answers.” 

“What could he possibly have for you?” Max asked. “For us?”

“He spiked Rachel’s drink.”

“Okay, both of you. Shut up.” Rachel said. “We _ think _he spiked my drink. We don’t know. There are a lot of nasty guys at Blackwell. It could have been any of them. And besides, we have a lot more pressing matters right now.”

“Right. Have you heard from Frank?” Chloe asked. 

Rachel pulled out her phone. “Still nothing. Fucker probably jumped ship once he learned about Merrick. Or they’re working together.”

“He wouldn’t do that.” Max retorted. “He cares about you.” 

Rachel shook her head. “Forget it. Let’s appreciate the sunset.” She stared out to the horizon, Chloe and Max following her gaze. A blue butterfly flew close in front of Max’s face and rested on Chloe’s knee. Rachel and Chloe didn’t even notice. 

_ “Hmm…” _Max thought. “Ah!” She clutched her head with both hands as it started to pound. “Fuck!” She cried. She got off the bench and collapsed onto the ground, struggling to breathe.

“Max!” Chloe cried. She and Rachel quickly knelt down beside her. “Max are you okay? Can you hear me?”

“Argh, oh god my head-”

“MAX!”

_ BOOM! _

Max came to her senses. “Come on! Why am I back here?” She cried. “There must be something else I can do!” She slowly made her way up the path, dodging the various obstacles thrown at her with ease. She had seen it all before anyway. The wind beat at her as she walked, the rain soaking her skin. She got to the top and found the flyer stuck to the same post it had been last time. She grabbed it. 

“October 11th…” She breathed out loud. “Same as last time…”

Slowly, she felt the storm’s power ebb away slightly…

“MAX!” Chloe cried. Max found herself awake on the cliffside, the sun shining, exactly where she was before. Rachel stood stock still, unsure of what to do. “Max, what happened?” Chloe asked.

“Oh my God… I-I-I don’t know-” Max stammered as she fell backwards onto her butt on the ground. 

“You had the vision again, didn’t you?” Rachel asked, squatting down to her level. “Of the tornado.”

Max nodded. She felt her face flush as the tears came pouring out. “I had it again in class too. Everything that’s happened today happened exactly like it did the previous time! Nothing changed! I did nothing! I don’t want it to happen again I don’t want-” Her cries were interrupted by a sudden wetness on the top of her head. She looked up. “No. No way.”

Rachel and Chloe stood up, looking at the sky in amazement.

“It’s like- 80 degrees. How?” Chloe said, looking at Rachel and then Max.

“It’s snowing.”


	34. Tuesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A warm sunny Tuesday morning wouldn't be complete without a nice breakfast, some old junk, and a gun.
> 
> Oh and a suicidal afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long episode, long chapter. Not much else to say ;)
> 
> WARNING: Graphic mentions of suicide in this chapter, right towards the end. From when Zachary bursts into class right up until the next big paragraph break (with the *)
> 
> Also a brief mention of animal death, whilst chloe is shooting the bottles

Max awoke slightly later than usual and discovered that the bedsheets had been rudely thrown off her body, strewn about on the large mattress. “Ugh.” Max breathed. She shivered. It wasn’t cold, but the sheer shock of seeing her bare legs exposed to the open made her shiver instinctively. Max sat up. She turned towards the bedroom door. She could hear music playing from the living room. “Heh.” She stood up and walked out the door. Rachel and Chloe were dancing on the couch. 

“Morning, Max!” Rachel giggled. She hopped off the couch and hugged Max.

“You guys are up early.” Max rubbed her eyes and sleepily returned the hug.

“No, you just slept in.” Chloe chimed in, hopping off the couch and joining them. “Got my paycheck, and a morning off.” She smirked. “Breakfast at Two Whales?”

“Ah- sure.” Max smiled. “Of course.”

“You don’t sound sure.” Rachel replied. 

“Oh God, is this where you tell me this happened in the ‘original’ timeline?” Chloe made inverted commas with her fingers. “You stayed up all night trying to figure out the implications of whatever happened yesterday.”

“Chloe, I-” Max started to say.

“Don’t be so harsh, Chloe!” Rachel admonished, cutting Max off. Chloe rolled her eyes. “Yesterday was stressful, I understand that. But that could be nothing. Yeah the freak snowfall was a little weird but it might not mean anything. For all we know that was predetermined.”

“Which could mean the tornado is predetermined too!” Max cried.

“You’ve heard of the Slippery Slope Fallacy, right?” Rachel placed her hands on Max’s shoulder. “Come on. Let’s just forget about yesterday and enjoy today.”

Max smiled. “You know what? You’re right.” She took Rachel’s hand in hers and squeezed it. “I haven’t had breakfast at the Two Whales in so long. I miss it.”

“Well prepare for the meal of your life, sistah.” Chloe smirked. “Now go on. Go get dressed.” 

“Alright, fine.” Max rolled her eyes and turned around. She felt a pinch on her behind and jumped. “HEY!” She cried, turning around. Chloe was staring at the wall to her left and whistling. “I’ll get you for that.” Max giggled.

“Get me for what?” Chloe feigned innocence. Max shook her head. She walked into the bedroom and grabbed her phone and her clothes, before heading to the bathroom and running the shower. She stripped and waited for the water to heat up. She unlocked her phone and started to scroll through her social media. She didn’t have many mutual followings, but she followed quite a few people she liked from Blackwell. A string of posts all from one person popped up, most of them dated from quite late in the previous night to very early that morning. They were all very distressing. 

“I don’t wanna look at this right now.” Max said, closing the application and turning on her music. “I’m sure whoever they are, they’ll be fine.” Max told herself, but deep down she felt uneasy. She stepped into the shower and felt the hot water soothe her skin. She let out a long sigh of relief as the world around her faded away.

*

20 minutes later, Max was dressed and they were out on the road. The sun was warm, but Chloe insisted on wearing her beanie. 

“I don’t get it.” Rachel said as she got out of the truck. “You wear all these clothes when it’s 80 out and barely anything when it’s 50. Are you even human?”

“No, I’m a lesbian.” Chloe smirked, walking past her and towards the diner.

Rachel threw an arm up in mild frustration. “That girl… total enigma.”

“You’re telling me. I grew up with her.” Max said, gently grasping Rachel’s hand as they walked to the diner. 

“Just like how I remember it.” Rachel breathed in. “That sweet smell.”

“Dude, it hasn't been that long.” Chloe said, walking over to a faraway booth and sitting down. 

“I know. Just feeling nostalgic.” Rachel smiled. “I’ve never been here with Max before. It’s refreshing.”

Max smiled. “It certainly is very nice.” She and Rachel joined Chloe at the booth. Rachel and Max sat down together, and Chloe sat opposite. 

Max breathed in deeply. “So many memories. Didn’t get a chance to properly appreciate it last time I was here.”

“And now here we are.” Chloe beamed. “All together.” She picked up a menu and then immediately put it back down. “I already know what I’m getting. And no you can’t have any.”

Max and Rachel looked at each other. “Who are you talking to?” Rachel asked. 

“Both of you.” Chloe said back. 

“Alright, Miss Greedy.”

“Excuse you at least I know how big my stomach is. And I know it can handle a giant plate of bacon and eggs, without any ‘help’ from jealous girlfriends.” Chloe said. 

“Pity you’re outnumbered.” Rachel leaned forward. 

“Oh, am I?” Chloe replied, also leaning forward. 

Rachel bent up and kissed Chloe. Chloe quickly snapped back into her chair, blushing. Rachel giggled. 

“Unfair! You caught me off guard.” Chloe protested. 

“Are you pouting?” Max laughed. 

“No. This is my ‘caught-off-guard’ face.”

Rachel clicked her tongue. “Can’t say it suits you.” Rachel leaned back and grabbed a menu. “Anyway… if we wanna save our wonderful moneybags girlfriend some money…” She looked up at Chloe. “...and bacon, we should share the giant pancakes.”

“Oh God, that sounds amazing.” Max said. “Eugh, I’m drooling.”

“Baby Max strikes again.” Chloe smirked. 

“Blow me.” Max fired back. 

Several minutes later, they had received their food and procedurally scoffed it down. 

Rachel burped loudly. “Oh excuse me.”

“I’m surprised you two beanpoles got through that.” Chloe said. “Also, that was pathetic. Watch this.” Chloe leant back and let out a loud belch. Various heads turned towards her. 

“Jesus Christ, Chloe!” Max whispered harshly, hiding her face with her hand. Rachel laughed. 

“Gooooood morning, Vietnam!” Chloe said eagerly, patting her stomach. “Alright. Let’s get this show on the road. I have a new toy to play with.” She winked. 

Max and Rachel stood up and followed Chloe out the door. “Don’t tell me you actually kept Nathan’s gun, did you?” 

Chloe shrugged. “Okay fine. I won’t tell you.” She opened the door. 

Rachel’s phone started to ring. “Ah, sorry. I better take this. Just give me a minute.”

“Chloe for God’s sake-“

“What, Max?” Chloe fumed. “Gonna tell me I’m not capable? That it’s ‘dangerous?’ I can handle myself pretty well actually.”

“Chloe-“ Max said, reaching for Chloe as she walked out the door and towards the parking lot. Max stomped her foot in frustration. 

“It’ll be fine, Sam. Just do your homework and don’t stress, okay? Thank you for calling me. It means a lot. I’ll see you at school.” Rachel hung up and pocketed her phone. She sighed. 

“Everything alright?” Max asked. 

“I could ask you the same question.” Rachel huffed. “It’s just a friend of mine. From drama.”

“Samantha, right?”

“You know her?”

“Ah- can’t say I’ve met her.” Max said hurriedly. “Not this time around anyway. But I’ve seen her around. She seems nice. Quiet girl.”

“Yeah. She is nice. And frankly a little too quiet, as of late.” Rachel sighed. 

“What do you mean?”

“It’s her business so I really shouldn’t say, but she’s become a lot more reserved lately. I’m worried about her.”

“It’s like you said. She could just be fine. She’ll get through it. Especially with you by her side.”

“Thanks, Max. What were you and Chloe fighting about?”

“Ugh, she wants to go to the junkyard to shoot bottles with Nathan’s gun.”

“That’s not what I heard.” Rachel frowned. “She’s right though. She can handle herself.”

“Yeah, but- it’s still a gun. I don’t like Chloe and guns. Bad combo.”

“It’ll be fine. Yes she shouldn’t be toying with death so much, but she’s also a lot more prepared now, you know? I mean you told her her future. That’s bound to have some effect.” 

Max shuffled her feet. “I suppose.”

“Come on. Best not to leave her waiting.” Rachel smiled and walked out the door. 

“Christ.” Max muttered to herself and followed Rachel out of the diner. 

*

Ten minutes later, Chloe made her grand return to the junkyard, parking the truck just outside the entrance. The girls all got out one by one, with Max being the reluctant last one. She breathed in the surprisingly clean air and exhaled. Birds chirped and cawed somewhere out of Max’s line of sight. It was warm, but there was a cool breeze settling in as the morning drifted, just like it had been the last time. Chloe was drinking a bottle of beer - God knows where she got it from. 

“Same shitty green bottle as last time.” Max mumbled aloud. 

“Hmm? What?” Chloe asked, tilting her chin upwards at Max. 

“Nothing!” Max cried. 

“Well, after yesterday, I think I need a little target practice.” Chloe smirked. “Max, could you find some bottles while I prep the shooting range. Pretty please?” Chloe gripped her hands together and stood on her tiptoes, smiling sweetly at Max. 

Max rolled her eyes. “How can I resist those sweet puppy dog eyes.” Max mumbled sarcastically. “You look like Pompidou.”

“Oh buzz off.” Chloe replied. “God poor thing…”

Max grimaced. She had completely forgotten what had happened to Pompidou. Frank’s lack of communication was beginning to worry Max. Max looked around. She immediately spied a green bottle high on top of an old fridge right next to the run-down school bus. Exactly where it was last time. She repeated her method of grabbing the wooden crate and using it as a stool to reach her prize. _ “One down, five to go.” _ As she walked around the junkyard, she reminisced on her memories of being in the junkyard for the first time, as well as some older memories of her and Chloe, running through the Oregon forests. She could still hear Chloe’s childish laughter in her mind. She looked to the old tree stump and remembered something. “The deer…” she breathed aloud. She looked over to where she remembered first seeing the ghostly doe, but it wasn’t there. _ “Where’d you go?” _ She thought. She blinked. _ “Where did it even come from?” _ She shook her head. _ “Bygone timeline.” _She reminded herself. She kept wandering around, wading through old junk. She stopped to admire Chloe and Rachel’s secret cabin. It had remained untouched for quite some time - like any outsiders that came through dared not disturb it. Max smiled. She walked up the small incline towards the homesick barge where Rachel was sitting on a chair, reading a stack of magazines. 

“Last bottle.” Rachel said. “I did my bit.” She winked. 

“What the hell are you reading?” Max asked, picking up a magazine from the top of the stack. 

“I’m admiring some finely-aged vintage artwork.” Rachel replied, ooh-ing at whatever was in her magazine. 

“Sexy pin-up girls and men wearing speedos?” 

“I live a life of balance, Miss Caulfield.”

“Don’t call me that. Wells calls me that.”

“Fine, suit yourself Mrs. Caulfield-Price-Amber.” 

“Ew. Not a fan of that.” Max sat down on the planks of the barge, setting the bottles down next to her. “If we ever do get married, I swear I refuse to merge our last names.”

“I don’t think you should lose a last name as cool as Caulfield.” Rachel said. 

“Who said I was?” Max smirked at Rachel. 

Rachel laughed. “Fair enough. Call me old-fashioned, but I’d rather take my partner’s name.” 

“Well in that case, you’re gonna have to choose pretty wisely.” Max replied. 

“Definitely gonna be Price. Sorry Max. Your last name is too gaudy and pretentious.”

“You just said it was cool!” Max cried, defending her pride. 

“Yeah, for you. It suits you - you’re a literary nerd. It doesn’t suit me and it would hella not suit Chloe.” 

“Oh my God. Chloe Caulfield.” Max spluttered in laughter. “I’m pissing myself just thinking about it.” 

“Chloe has the best parents anyway. It makes the most sense to take their last name.”

“Continue William’s legacy.” Max said sadly. Max looked around, trying to see if she could find William’s car. “_ Must be long gone by now.” _ She thought. 

“I think Chloe’s getting impatient.” Rachel whispered. She stood up, reluctantly putting down the porn magazine. She picked up a couple of bottles and walked down towards Chloe, who was jumping up and down desperately. Max shrugged, slowly doing the same. She felt several bones creak and crack as she stood up. 

“Oof that was not a comfortable place to sit. Ow.” She muttered to herself. 

“Finally. Took you long enough. Now.” Chloe quickly stopped to chug the rest of her beer, before handing the bottle to Rachel.

“Beer and guns? Nice combo.” Rachel quipped. 

“We can handle it.” Chloe replied. 

“Who the hell is we?” Rachel asked, shaking her head. She placed her bottles on a little rack Chloe had set up, and Max did the same, so that 6 green bottles were all lined up a row. “You’re the madwoman with a gun.”

“I’m an assassin, not a crazed gunman.” Chloe smiled, winking at Max. Max giggled at the reference. 

“Whatever, nerds.” Rachel rolled her eyes and sat down. 

“Call me a nerd again and I might just become a madwoman with a gun.”

Max shuddered. “Don’t even joke about that.”

“Sorry.” Chloe muttered. “Now. I know you’ve been honing your timey-wimey skills,” She said, beaming. “So, you have to help me aim.”

“Oh I have to, do I?” Max raised an eyebrow. 

“Pretty please, Max?” 

Max laughed. “Oh my god, fine!” Max walked until she was a safe distance from Chloe’s targets. “Take aim, babe”.

“Alrighty. And… BAM!” Chloe shouted as she fired the gun. It sounded a lot different to the pop gun Chloe had previously. It was quieter, but more powerful. The bottle shattered immediately, causing the others to wobble slightly. The bottle next to it fell over, and Max quickly ran to pick it up before it smashed onto the ground. “Wow. This gun feels amazing. Way better than the ones David let me use.” 

Max did a double take, rapidly remembering that David had taught her how to shoot in this timeline. “Don’t get too trigger-happy, Lucky Lucy.”

“Call me Sarah Connor, cause I’m about to kill some junk.” Chloe smirked, and fired. “Goddamnit.” She muttered, watching the bullet sail over the bottle and into the distance. She looked at Max. “Well?”

Max rolled her eyes and rewound her shooting. “Don’t get too trigger-happy, Lucky Lucy. Aim a little lower.”

“Right on…” Chloe adjusted her aim. “Call me Sarah Connor, cause I’m about to-“ She fired, cutting herself off. She blinked as the bottle shattered, glass forming a powder underneath. “Wow. That motherfucker disintegrated.”

“You fired on accident, didn’t you?” Max smirked.

“Nope. Not at all. That was… totally deliberate.”

Rachel snorted. 

“Shut up and read your porn!” Chloe yelled. 

“I’m really not digging this background music. I might switch stations.” Rachel yelled back. 

“In your dreams, sweetcheeks.” She turned back to the shooting range. “Alright, Max. Am I good?”

“I have to see you shoot first.” Max replied. 

“Here goes-“ Chloe said, pulling the trigger. 

Out of nowhere, a raven swooped down in front of the bottles, accidentally taking the bullet.

“Oh no!” Max cried, running over to the raven. Rachel looked up from the barge to see the commotion. Chloe backed up, head in her hands. 

“Holy fuck.” Chloe cried, hyperventilating. “Max, can you fix this?”

“S-sure, hold on.” Max looked down at the bird, who was bleeding on the ground, long dead. “Oh God…” She stood up and backed away, rewinding. 

“Here goes-“

“WAIT!” Max cried, putting her hand in front of Chloe. 

Chloe jumped. “Jesus Christ you almost made me miss.” She scowled at Max. 

“Look.” Max pointed at a raven swooping down in front of them. 

“A raven? I haven’t seen one of those in years.”

“Aren’t they a bad omen?” Max asked nervously. 

“No, not unless you kill it.” Chloe said matter-of-factly. Max shuddered. “I used to dream about them. All the time.” She watched as the raven ascended back up, vanishing into the forest. “They’d be there. With my dad. It was pretty surreal. Makes sense I’d see one again now.” She coughed. “Anyway.” Chloe quickly aimed and fired at the bottle, smiling as it shattered into small pieces. 

Max jumped. “Jesus Christ, Chloe.” 

“What?” Chloe shrugged. She looked up at the small car resting on top of the trash pile. “Ooh! I’m gonna use this old junker to take out the rest of the bottles.” 

“Go for the tyre.” Max said immediately. 

“Huh?” Chloe asked. 

“Go for the tyre.” 

“Why do you sound so sure about this?” Chloe looked at Max. “Have we- did we do this? The other time?”

Max shrugged. “Doesn’t matter now. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t mean a thing. Shoot the tyre.”

Chloe looked awkwardly at Max but obliged. She watched with glee as the car rumbled forward, crushing the bottles on its way down as it fell with a thump on its front bumper before collapsing forward in front of Chloe and Max, wheels up. “Oh fuck yeah!” Chloe cried, hi-fiving Max and admiring her handiwork. 

“What are you jackasses up to?” Rachel called, not looking up. 

“Singular jackass actually.” Max called back. “It’s just her.”

“Hey!” Chloe cried. “That’s true.” She shrugged. “Anyway, we’re done. Let’s go for a walk.” 

“Sounds good.” Max smiled, skipping along ahead towards the train tracks. She waited for Rachel and Chloe to catch up, then waited some more, staring out over the junkyard, secretly hoping Frank would make his grand re-entry, hopefully providing them, especially Rachel, with much needed closure. He did not. Max shrugged. Trying to focus on the positives, she thought how it could mean the timeline wasn’t repeating as much as she thought it was. One thing was for sure - Kate was safe and happy - for the most part anyway. Max felt absolute in not having to stop one of her best friends from committing suicide that afternoon. She idly began to amble her way along the far side of the train tracks, keeping her feet on the metal. She looked up and saw Chloe smiling at her. Chloe immediately hopped onto the opposite bar and follower suit. Rachel jumped into the middle of the train tracks, grabbing Max and Chloe’s hands. 

“Heehee, we’re like a human chain.” Max giggled. 

“A chain on a train track.” Chloe chuckled. 

They all continued to walk up the tracks until they reached a fork. A large water tower stood off to their left. 

“Can we stop?” Chloe asked. She slowly let go of Rachel’s hand and proceeded to lie down on the tracks. Rachel lay down next to her, their shoulders touching. Max lay down on the opposite side. 

“Man. I love train tracks.” Chloe smiled, looking up at the sky. “They just… make me feel better. I don’t know how to describe it.”

“Kerouac knew.” Max replied instantly. “It’s the romance of travel and movement, the sound of the train whistle at night…”

“Look at the beat poet here.” Chloe replied, grinning at Max.

“I had no idea you were so well-read, Max.” Rachel smiled and slowly sat up. “The more I learn about you the more impressed I am.”

Max blushed. “I just wanna be a good photographer.” 

“You are.” Chloe said, sitting up as well. “You just have to stop being afraid. You’re a tough girl, you’ve gone through a lot. You can easily become the greatest photographer ever.”

Max smiled. She turned and grabbed her camera from her bag. “Hold on. Lie back down again, I have an idea.” Max lay down on the tracks facing Chloe and Rachel. 

“I think I know where you’re going with this.” Rachel lay back down, resting her head on Chloe’s shoulder as she did the same. Rachel pointed up at the clouds. 

“Ah, put your hand down. I can’t get a good shot of Chloe.” 

“Sorry.” Rachel mumbled. 

“No no, it’s a good idea though. Chloe, point up at something in the sky.” Max looked up from her camera. “Oh, and watch that your shoes don’t get caught in the tracks.”

Chloe sat up slightly and adjusted herself. She obeyed Max, pointing up at a random cloud in the sky and making a whimsical expression. Max beamed as she took the shot. 

“Do you feel that?” Rachel asked. 

“Shit. Train’s coming.” Chloe muttered, quickly helping Rachel onto her feet and jumping off the tracks. 

Max quickly followed. She checked her phone. “Shit. Better get back for my photography class. We’re going over _ chiaroscuro _today.”

“Sounds tedious.” Chloe replied. 

“Oh crap my audition’s tonight too.” Rachel sighed. “Gotta got some last minute rehearsing in.” 

“Ooh good luck for that.” Chloe beamed. “Or rather, break a leg.”

“I see you’ve finally learned.” Rachel replied. 

“Come on, let’s get your two star artists back to school.” 

*

The afternoon was a lot cooler than the morning. The clouds were coming in, and a chill breeze blew over Blackwell, beating at Max’s hair. 

“Arrgh, I get it!” Max sighed, exasperated. She parted her hair off her face and walked into the blackwell building. “Phew.” She exhaled as she entered the main hallway. She looked around. The banner dictating the upcoming Vortex Club Party. “Ugh.” She moaned. She knew she had to go, but she wasn’t happy about it. She suddenly regretted handing in her photo for the “Everyday Heroes” Contest. She spied Courtney sitting at a desk handing out posters for the party and taking Vortex Club members’ names for the guest list. Several people came by and signed their names. Max never realised how large the Vortex Club was. 

“Hey, Courtney.” Max smiled as she walked up to her.

“Hey, Maxie!” Courtney beamed eagerly. “Finally a face I actually wanted to see. How are you?”

Max was taken aback at Courtney’s words. She had no idea her actions affected Courtney of all people so greatly. Still, she smiled. “Good. And you?”

“Tired as fuck, but someone’s gotta man this stall.” Courtney smiled. “I take it you wanna put your name down?”

Max considered for a moment. Now that she no longer had to warn Victoria about the dark room, she had no urgent reason to be there. On the other hand, the space was much nicer, and Rachel was most likely gonna spend most of her time there anyway. Plus, there’d be more people to talk to. “Sure. But you gotta put Chloe’s name down too.”

“Chloe? Uh…” Courtney looked unsure. She looked like she was considering a very difficult decision. “I mean, she’s not really even a student here anymore…”

“That doesn’t stop most of you.” Max said matter-of-factly. 

Courtney started sweating. “Yeah. True. Ok… Chloe Price…” She scribbled a couple lines down. “There. Victoria might not be too happy about this.”

“Really? They seemed to be getting along alright.” Max smiled. “Thank you, Courtney. I’ll see you on Thursday.”

“Ah- yeah. See ya.” 

Max continued down the hallway towards class, but was stopped by David Madsen.

“Hey Max. Just wanted to say, things got a little heavy yesterday when you were at our home. I just wanted to apologise for that.”

“No, it wasn’t your fault. We got ourselves mixed up in some dangerous shit. We didn’t mean to worry you.”

“Okay.” David exhaled. “Good. Just- stay safe, okay Max?”

“We will. Don’t worry about us, David.” Max looked at him. “Believe me when I say we can take care of ourselves.”

David looked Max up and down. “I’m sure you can. Take care, Max.” He tilted his cap.

“See you later, David.” Max turned and made her way to class. She spotted Kate looking at Jefferson tentatively before heading into the classroom. He seemed to be waiting for someone. Max assumed it was her, so she kept her head low as she approached.

But it wasn’t.

“Ah, there you are! I wanted to talk to-” Jefferson said, but was cut off as the girl whose attention he was trying to get walked right past him without even acknowledging him. Max looked at her.

_ “Samantha?” _She thought to herself. She watched Samantha hastily walk off with her arms folded. She briefly recalled Rachel’s phone call to her earlier. Max considered chasing after her, but she figured Samantha wouldn’t appreciate, considering she didn’t know Max. Max decided to just leave it, and proceeded to walk into class. She walked past Dana, doing some mock modeling for Taylor and Hayden. Daniel watched eagerly, sketching Dana on his sketchpad. She walked over to her desk, and discovered Victoria sitting on it. 

“Max, god. Took you long enough.” Victoria sighed. 

“Were you waiting for me?”

“Yes, actually. Otherwise there’d be no reason for me to be sitting on your desk.” 

“Other than the obvious.” Max muttered.

“Other than being a total bitch, you mean?” Victoria giggled. “Don’t worry, I won’t take it personally.”

Max frowned. “I’m… glad. Did you wanna talk about something?”

“Yeah. What the hell, Max?” Victoria glowered at her.

“If this is about Nathan, I swear I didn’t know anything.” Max said defensively. “I was just as shocked as you are.”

Victoria relaxed slightly. “I don’t know what the fuck your little girlfriends were playing at, but they shouldn’t be messing with Nathan like that. Not just for his sake, but for their own. I have no idea how Nathan managed to get another gun, but he did.” She sighed. “I know he’s dangerous, but he’s also unwell, and those two qualities don’t mix well together.”

“At least he’s safe now.” Max said, trying her hardest to reassure Victoria.

“Yeah. He is.” Victoria looked down. “At least Mr. Madsen was kind enough to tell me what happened.” She looked back up at Max. “He told me you tried to stop it.”

Max nodded. “I heard Chloe cry about the gun from outside the bathroom so I rushed in.”

“Thank you, Max.” Victoria sniffed. “Anyway, I’d better let you sit down. Thanks for letting me talk.”

“Hey, no problem. I just signed up earlier for the VIP list for the party, so we’ll be able to hang out then.”

Victoria smiled. “That sounds good.” She got up and walked back to her seat. A few seconds later, Warren walked in, grabbing a chair from the table next to Max and sitting on it backwards, such that his arms were resting on the back of the chair. Max couldn’t help but remember the times when she sat in that chair, zoning out and worrying about the smallest of things. She looked at Warren, who was patiently waiting for her to acknowledge him.

“Hey, Warren.” 

“Hey, Max.” Warren looked nervous. “You okay? I heard about what happened yesterday.”

“From who?”

“Quite a few people saw it happen, and every time Nathan disappears, people start talking, you know?”

Max looked down. 

“Just… thank god you were there.” Warren said.

“I don’t really wanna talk about it.” Max said.

“That’s fair. I’m sorry.” Warren hesitated. “Hey, I was wondering, I bought two tickets for the drive-in theatre, but Kate said she didn’t wanna go. Would you wanna come with?” 

Max grimaced and looked at Kate. 

Kate smiled. “It’s okay. I told him to ask you.”

“Uh…” Max thought. “Sorry, I know you’re trying to be nice, but right now I just don’t have the energy to commit to something like that. I hope you understand.” 

Warren nodded sadly. “Yeah. I understand.”

Max felt bad, but for most part she didn’t want to lead Warren on considering what happened the other week. She found the fact that he asked her right in front of Kate very insulting. She did like Warren, but she had to admit the way he treated her sometimes was… weird. Max cleared her throat.

“Why don’t you ask Brooke? I’m sure she’d be happy to go with you.” She looked at Kate, who nodded. 

“Yeah, Brooke’s nice.” Kate confirmed. “And she likes you. Ah- well, not in that way, obviously, but in that you two are quite similar, and she likes being around like-minded people.”

Warren nodded. “Yeah. Yeah she does. I’ll ask her. Thanks guys.” He looked back up at Max. “Hey Max, I also just wanted to ask if-”

“I know you love me, but if you’re not in my class, BEAT IT.” Jefferson announced as he walked into class. 

Warren frowned. “I’ll see you later, Max.” He said as he walked out. Kate and Max waved him out. 

“Right.” Jefferson sighed, taking some files out of a drawer and placing them on his desk. “We have a lot to go over today, and I’m really tired, so I would really appreciate it if you were patient and gave me your full attention today.” He walked over and sat at his usual spot on Daniel’s desk. Daniel fidgeted slightly. “Ok. I’m sure you all read the syllabus like it was a Harry Potter book, so you should all know that today we’re studying... chiaroscuro. That wonderful contrast between light and dark.”

_ “A Harry Potter book would have more reread value than this.” _Max thought to herself. 

Zachary burst into the classroom, and said the one thing Max was dreading the most. “Yo! Something crazy’s going on at the pool!”

Max’s heart sunk. “What?” She whispered to herself. _ “There’s no way. Not-” _She turned towards Kate, who looked back at Max with a confused expression.

“Zachary, do NOT come into my classroom like that again!” Jefferson cried, but the damage was done. Everyone was already bustling out the door. Max could only watch in horror. Kate gestured to Max to follow. Max looked at Jefferson, who just sighed. “Dismissed.” Max shook her head and ran out the classroom door. 

Max ran down the hallway, bustling past the crowd of confused and unenthused individuals that weren’t already bustling to leave. She felt a hand grip onto her own, and turned to see Kate desperately trying to catch up with Max. Max shoved open the school doors and confirmed her worst fears. She looked up at the roof of the pool and saw-

“SAM!” A voice cried from outside the pool main doors. It was Rachel, desperately trying to console a very desperate Samantha Myers, teetering on the edge of the building. 

“Oh no.” Max said aloud. 

“That poor girl…” Kate whispered sadly. Max let go of Kate’s hand and raced towards the building. “Max!” Kate cried, but Max didn’t stop. She kept running. She felt the rain pelt at her hair and soaking her skin through her clothes. She had to do something. She had to.

_ “Please, please work!” _Max screamed in her head. She held out her right hand and continued running. Gradually, she felt her head start to burn as the movements of her surroundings slowed down. She slowed down, focussing her energy more into rewinding time. She slowly walked around the building, looking for a door or a ladder to get the roof. On the other side of the building near the parking lot, she found a door. She opened up and began climbing the metal stairs towards the roof. As Max approached Samantha, the pain began too much for her to handle, and she collapsed on the ground behind Samantha. 

Samantha turned around. “W-Who are you?” She cried timidly.

“My name is Max.” Max puffed. She wiped blood from her nose and stepped towards Samantha. “I’m a friend of Rachel’s. I’m here to help.”

“Rachel?” Samantha asked, her face briefly lighting up. “Where is she?”

“She’s down there. She wants to help you, as do I.”

  
“Why do you wanna help me?” Samantha’s eyes flashed angrily, and she backed up towards the edge. 

Max thought back to her conversation with Samantha back when she first got to Blackwell, when the dorms were still around. “I know someone hurt you.” She said calmly. 

“W- How?” Samantha asked.

“Rachel and I are here to help. Same with Chloe. We all care about you.”

“Chloe?” Samantha thought briefly. She shook her head. “You don’t even know me!” 

“I know...” Max walked forward slowly, trying to keep her voice steady. “I know someone took advantage of you. Abused your trust. He hurt you in an unimaginable way. But he’s gone now. He can’t touch you anymore.”

“You don’t know that!” Samantha shook her head. “Everyone makes fun of me. I just want to forget! I want the pain to stop.” She turned around and faced the edge of the building. “And this is how to do it.”

Max ran forward slightly. “No! There are other ways! There are people, in this school, in this town, who care about you! You have to live and fight this! If not for yourself, do it for them!”

Samantha’s stance wobbled.

Max pushed forward. “I want to help you. Rachel wants to help you. Chloe wants to help you. We can, all together, get through this. We can find whoever did this to you and take him down!” She stepped forward again. She lowered her voice. “But we have to do it together.” 

Samantha looked back at Max.

“Samantha, we need your help.”

Samantha turned back around, but did not step closer to the edge of the building. She was shaking. Nobody moved for the longest time. Even the crowd at the bottom seemed to quiet down. Slowly, Samantha turned around and stepped back onto the roof, falling into Max’s arms. 

“I’m so sorry.” Samantha sobbed.

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault.” Max said repeatedly. She whispered to Samantha, gently hugging and rocking her, over and over again until David and Rachel found them on the roof.

*

“Now I know today was difficult for everybody, but I’m so proud of the way Blackwell pulled together to save a young girl’s life.” Principal Wells said, turning away from the window and facing Max, who was sitting in a chair opposite Principal Wells’ desk. “Of course, you’re quite the hero for getting Samantha to come down from the roof, Max.”

Max blinked. It seemed like a second ago she was up on the roof, drenched in rain water. Now it was a good few hours later, and the sun was bathing the school in a warm yellow glow, indicating the first semblance of sunset. “I… thank you.” She said slowly. She looked around. Principal Wells was beaming at her, and David stood off to the side, appearing like a soldier at ease. Surprisingly, neither Jefferson nor Nathan made an appearance. Instead, Mr. Keaton, the drama teacher, stood solemnly next to Max, a very worried expression on his face.

As if Principal Wells noticed Max’s observations, he said, “Now Mr. Prescott would have been here, if he hadn’t been already admitted to the hospital for _ yesterday’s _incident. Coincidentally, I believe that was an incident you helped to deescalate, Miss Caulfield.”

Max looked at Principal Well’s fearfully. “I mean, I was just-”

“It’s quite alright, Max. Mr. Madsen here vouched for you on that part.” 

Max looked at David, who nodded at her, giving a very small smile. 

Principal Wells sat down. “Now. I’m just going to have to ask you three some questions.”

They all nodded.

“Mr. Madsen.” Wells said sternly. “The doors to the roof of any school building should always be locked. They were not. That is your responsibility.”

“Yes, sir.” David said, looking down slightly.

“Mr. Keaton, I cannot expect you to always be aware of everything your students are going through, but drama and theatre involves strong confidence and the right attitude to perform. When Samantha was performing up to scratch in class, you should have been able to observe something about her mental state. Anything.”

“Yes, Mr. Wells.” Mr. Keaton looked down sadly. “I should have acted a little sooner.” He sighed. “Oh, hindsight is a fickle mistress.”

Principal Wells cleared his throat. “Indeed. Now, Miss Caulfield.” 

Max was immediately alert. 

“Why exactly were you on the roof with Miss Myers? Did she tell you her plan? Please, tell us everything.” 

Max considered for a moment. With Jefferson not present, it wasn’t going to be as easy to pin the blame on him to get the investigation going. However, with what she observed in the hallway before class, she felt it was enough to get the ball rolling. Max cleared her throat. “No, I barely knew her. She was a friend of a friend.”

“Miss Amber, is that correct?” Wells asked. 

Max looked surprised. 

Wells chuckled. “I’m not as unobservant as I seem, Miss Caulfield. I often saw Rachel and Miss Myers talking together, and the nature of your relationship with Miss Amber is no secret.”

David looked uncomfortable. 

“Right.” Max said, gritting her teeth. 

“So, did Rachel tell you what was going on?”

“No, we were both as shocked as everyone else. I just was the first to turn my shock into action.”

“Well, Max, I applaud you then. But I still must ask, do you have any reason to believe why she tried to commit suicide?”

Max hesitated. “I knew she had a close relationship with Nathan Prescott a few years ago, and that he betrayed her. Quite badly.” She said.

Wells sat back. “I hardly believe that’s a reason to commit suicide alone.”

Max took this opportunity. “I saw her at the Vortex Club Party last weekend.” She lied. She hadn’t seen her, but she had heard rumours of her whereabouts at the party, not all of them good. “She looked like she’d been drugged.”

David’s eyes widened. Mr. Keaton placed a hand over his heart and gasped. Wells leaned forward, keeping his expression stern and intimidating. “Are you sure?” He asked very slowly.

Max leaned forward, staring him down. “Yes.” Wells leaned back, and Max followed, feeling satisfied. “Another thing too: I don’t know if this is entirely relevant, but…” She looked at Wells, his expression indicated she could continue. “_ This might be my only chance to put Jefferson in Wells’ crosshairs!” _She thought. “Right before class started, right before… it happened, I saw Je-” She coughed. “Mr. Jefferson trying to talk to Samantha, and she just walked past him.”

“Mr. Jefferson?” Wells asked. “Why do you think he’s related?”

“I don’t know, it was something about the way he addressed her.” Max said off-handedly. “Sorry, it’s stupid. I just thought, because Samantha isn’t a student of his, and he seemed very desperate to talk to her… It was just odd. That’s all.”

Wells and David looked at each other, which took Max by surprise. Wells looked back at Max as he spoke. “I don’t think it’s related to the incident, but I’m still glad you brought this up. Miss Myers is an enigma, so anything that could suggest evidence as to what happened is appreciated. However, we will look into Mr. Prescott more thoroughly. Thank you for your time, Max.” He passed Max a sheet of paper that looked like a contract to Max. “Please sign here to confirm what you’ve told us.” 

Max felt her head start to hurt slightly, as she picked up the pen and signed her name.

“We will be consulting the police for further inquiries. For now, I suggest you head home. It’s been a tough day, and we all appreciate how much you’ve done for Blackwell.” 

Max looked down and said nothing. David came over and placed his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll take you home. If my timing’s right, Rachel will be picking up Chloe from the Two Whales.” David smiled.

“Thank you, David.” Max said. As she opened the door to the Principal’s office, she saw Warren sitting on a chair outside, waiting for her. 

“Max!” He cried, getting up and giving her a hug. “God, that was scary. Good on you.”

“Warren, have you been here this whole time?”

“No,” He admitted. “But I was worried about you, so I came back here to see if you were alright.”

“I’m… I’ve been better Warren. I was just on my way out.”

“I’ll walk with you.” Warren said. Warren followed Max outside the main doors into the sunshine. 

Max breathed in the cool evening air, relaxing as the sun warmed her face. “God, I’m exhausted.”

“You saved a girl’s life today, Max.” Warren walked in front of her and looked at her. “Give yourself some grace.”

“Yeah, I-” Max stopped. “What the hell!?” She cried, stepping backwards. She pointed up at the sky. “Look!”

“What?” Warren turned around and saw what Max was pointing at.”

“Jesus Christ…” David breathed.

The sky darkened as the moon started it’s path in front of the sun.

“Max, there was no eclipse scheduled today. I would know. I would.” He said, an edge of panic in his voice. “You don’t think it’s tied to-”

“I… I don’t know. The snow yesterday, and now this?” Max felt her lip tremble. “It’s all happening again, the same as before.”

“I…” Warren trailed off. He breathed in and out. “I believe you, Max. I’ll believe anything after today.” 


	35. Tuesday Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “If it’s a key it’s not breaking. They can’t arrest us for just entering.”
> 
> Fun nights at the pool with some deadly information, and a little bit of explosiveness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternatively, this chapter could also be called “A Nice Night For a Swim” but I wanted to keep with the ominous vibe 
> 
> Sorry it’s been soooo long. This has probably been my longest hiatus for this piece, at least for a long while. As you can imagine, shit has been hitting the fan a lot recently and it really affected my motivation to do a lot of things. But I’m getting back into Lis now and this fic by extension. 
> 
> Thank you for sticking by me through all this and I really hope you enjoy this chapter.

Max opened the door to the apartment complex and sighed. She briefly turned around, thanking David for taking her home. He simply nodded and drove off. She slowly walked up the stairs, her body aching as it did. She walked inside and saw Chloe and Rachel sitting at the table, along with Kate and Steph. They were all drinking tea.

“Hey, Max.” Steph was the first to say. 

Rachel got up and walked over to hug Max. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

Max slowly returned the hug. “Thanks.”

“Max, Rachel told me what you did.” Chloe said, still sitting at the table. “You were awesome.” Her tone was enthusiastic, but she kept a solemn look on her face.

Max smiled weakly, unable to accept the compliment. Kate noticed this, and got up and walked towards the kitchen. “I’ll make you some tea.” Kate said. Max only nodded. She took a seat next to Chloe. 

“I haven’t talked to Samantha much, but from what I know she is just a sweet and happy girl, even if she is pretty reserved.” Steph said, taking a sip of her tea. She gave Max a funny look. “It’s… it’s nice to see you again, Max. I wish it could have been under better circumstances.” She said. Max nodded slowly.

“Yeah, I really liked talking to her back when I was at Blackwell.” Chloe added. “She could be a little judgy at times, but she was nice, you know?” She shook her head. “I still can’t believe she tried to-” She grimaced. 

“I can.” Rachel frowned. “I’m just glad she didn’t follow through.” She smiled at Max. “And we have you to thank for that.” Max looked down.

“Do we have any idea as to why she might have tried to do that?” Chloe asked.

“You sound like Wells.” Max said without looking up. Everyone looked awkwardly at her, saying nothing. 

Kate set down a mug of tea in front of Max and went and sat back in her chair. “I hope he didn’t grill you too hard.” She smiled sweetly. Max smiled back.

“Nah. It was alright.” 

“What did you tell them?” Rachel asked. 

Max finally looked up, grabbing her mug with both hands. She was cold. “About as much as I knew. That she had relations with Nathan Prescott that ended poorly. I also said I suspected she got drugged at the party.”

Chloe put her mug down forcefully on the table, causing it to thud. “Did she?”

Max shrugged. “I heard rumours of her being at the party. Not sure if they’re true.”

Rachel pursed her lips. “Yes, she was. I did see her. But only very briefly. She was with friends and she was clearly drunk. This was a few minutes before you guys came to get me.” She looked at Max. “It could have been anyone, not necessarily Nathan, or-” She cut herself off. “Or it could have been nothing. That was dangerous, Max.”

Max nodded. “I know. But then get this - I told them Jefferson approached her minutes before she went to the roof.”

Rachel raised an eyebrow. “And did he?”

“Yes. He seemed very desperate to talk to her, I made sure to point that out.” Max said. “And David and Wells looked at each other weirdly.”

“Really?” Chloe asked. “You think David’s onto Jefferson?”

“How?” Kate asked. “Why would Mr. Madsen investigate Mr. Jefferson? He doesn’t know anything about what he’s done.”

“My stepfather is a paranoid little shit, excuse my language.” Chloe replied. “He’ll be onto anybody he deems even remotely weird.”

“Chloe- he’s not like that anymore.” Max said.

Chloe rolled her eyes. “I know, I know…”

“Well, more importantly, why was Wells so concerned at hearing that name?” Steph asked. “You said he looked at David weirdly too, right?” 

Max nodded.

“Why would he do that if he didn’t suspect anything?”

Silence. 

“What could they possibly know, though?” Rachel finally asked. “Let’s be realistic here. None of the staff know of Max’s powers.”

Max looked at Steph. It only made sense that she knew. Chloe and Rachel must have explained it to her at some point. Steph gave Max a nervous glance in return. 

“We’ll have to find that out, won’t we?” Chloe said. “I popped around to Joyce’s place earlier to see if I could dig up any files. I had no idea where he put them and even I can’t decrypt his laptop.”

“You should have asked me.” Max said.

“What? After today?” Chloe tutted, shaking her head. “Nuh uh, you need a break, sistah. Which reminds me…” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “I give you the spare keys to Blackwell! Thank you stepfather.” She placed them on the table. Max stared at them. Kate flinched. Rachel immediately grabbed them, staring at them properly. 

“What the hell, Chloe?” Rachel asked angrily, but her face slowly turned upwards, giving her true intentions away. 

  
Steph grinned at Chloe. “That is so sexy.”

Chloe bowed her head proudly. “Thank you, thank you. Call it a nighttime adventure. Bring your swimsuits, ladies.” She winked.

Rachel snapped her fingers. “Good opportunity to sneak into Wells’ office and dig up any information we can find.” 

Max looked up at Rachel. _ “Looks like I have to ring Warren.” _She thought to herself. 

“Oooh practical AND fun!” Chloe grinned. “I like it.” She stood up. “Tonight, then?”

Kate shivered. “I’ll pass, if that’s okay. I don’t particularly feel like breaking the law.”

“Suit yourself.” Chloe shrugged. Max sipped her tea. Chloe grabbed everyone else’s mugs and put them on the bench next to the sink. Kate got up and put on her coat. 

“I’ll walk you out.” Max said, getting up from the table. 

Kate smiled at her. “Thank you. You were so brave today.” Kate gently rubs Max’s arm. 

“It’s not like I haven’t done it before…” Max mumbled. 

Kate looked down. “You were exactly the person I needed that day, and today was no different for Samantha. Whatever happens now…” She turned and looked at the other girls, who were still chatting. Kate opened the door and Max followed her down the stairs and outside the apartment complex. “Whether it be the same as it was the first time…” Kate squinted at the eclipse, which had now almost completely passed. “Or something entirely different, I want you to be strong. I know you can get through this.” Kate took Max’s hands and held them in her own. “Sometime this week we’ll go visit Sam in hospital, yeah? All of us.”

Max nodded. “I’m sure she’ll like that.”

Kate smiled. “I don’t know what your crazy girlfriend has planned, but I hope you guys have fun either way.” She winked. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.” 

Max giggled. “May the Lord forgive you.”

Kate laughed. “After this week, I’ll need more than just His forgiveness.” She let go of Max’s hands. She turned and walked down the path. “See you tomorrow, Max.” 

“Bye, Kate.” Max called. When Kate was out of sight, Max turned and walked back upstairs to her apartment. When she walked back in, everyone was moving. Chloe was rinsing off the mugs and Rachel was hugging Steph. 

“I’ll meet you there tonight.” Steph said. She pointed her finger like a gun at Chloe and winked. Chloe nodded back. Steph walked past Max, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She smiled sweetly. 

“Thanks, Steph.” Max said.

Steph nodded to Max, then left.

Max looked at Rachel and Chloe, who tried and failed to not look sadly back at her. 

“I’m going to bed. Wake me up for our little night escapade.” Max smiled, unsure whether it would reassure her two companions. 

Rachel looked at Chloe, unsure and nervous.

Chloe nodded. “Okay. I’ll make sure to wake you up.” 

Max walked into the bedroom, shut the door and slipped off her shoes. Not bothering to take her clothes off, she closed the curtains and crawled onto her bed.

*

Max slowly stirred as Chloe slowly opened the bedroom door.

“Hey. Wake up, sleepyhead.” Chloe whispered.

Max moaned and sat up. “Oof. I’m getting a headache.”

“Did you sleep in your clothes? Just on top of the sheets?” Chloe asked, a puzzled look on her face. 

Max didn’t want to grace that with a response. 

Chloe shook her head. “Come on, we should get going.”

Max groggily got off the bed and checked her phone. A few minutes to 11. She shook her head. She pocketed her phone and slipped on her shoes, following Chloe out of the door. Rachel put a lid on a large thermos. She turned around, holding the thermos loosely in her hand.

“You ready?” Rachel asked. 

Max looked around. “Wait, shit. Where are my swim clothes?” 

“In the truck.” Chloe said. “Don’t worry. I got everything sorted.”

“This time, anyway.” Max mumbled to herself. She shook her head and looked back to Rachel. “In that case, I guess I am ready.”

Rachel beamed. “Sweet! Let’s go ladies!”

“Last one to the truck is a rotten eeeeeggggggg!” Chloe shouted, throwing open the door and running down the stairs. 

“Hey no fair!” Max cried, still trying to rouse herself from her half-asleep state. Rachel was already behind Chloe, not running as fast to make sure she didn’t drop the thermos. 

A few seconds later, Max joined Chloe and Rachel outside in the parking lot by the truck. 

“Gross!” Max giggled, pointing at the truck. “Did you drive through some fucking mud?” 

Chloe shrugged. “I may or may have not done some burnouts at the Junkyard in the rain, yes.” 

“Don’t worry. Tomorrow I’ll get into my sexy sexy bikini and wash it for you.” Rachel whispered in a sultry tone. 

“Ooh la la.” Chloe replied. She was trying to play it cool, but Max could tell Chloe was genuinely swooned. Chloe wrenched open the door and climbed in the driver’s seat. Max took her spot in the middle, once again feeling squished as Rachel sat next to her. Chloe started the ignition and sped off. 

*

Chloe found a safe place to park near the trees and stopped the truck. “This is gonna be so much fun!” Chloe laughed. She jumped into the back and grabbed a duffel bag. Rachel held onto Max’s hand as they got out of the truck, their arms swinging as they walked onto campus. Chloe jogged to catch up with them, taking Max’s other arm. 

“Can’t believe you’re excited to be back at _ Blackwell, _of all places.” Max said dryly. 

“Be Gay, Do Crimes.” Chloe smirked. “Anything to get back at that shitass principal.”

“Oh come on, he’s not that bad.” 

Chloe gave Max a look that could only be described as: ‘Seriously?’ 

“Ok touché.” Max said. 

“That’s weird. I thought Steph would have been here by now.” Rachel said, looking around. 

“Chk-chk. Right behind you.” Came a voice from behind them.” 

“Steph!” Rachel cried eagerly, letting go of Max and throwing herself at Steph.

“Oh God!” Steph cried, laughing as she hugged Rachel. “That’s quite the greeting.” Her voice was soft, but it managed to fill the space around the empty campus. 

“You’re lucky I, uh, rolled poorly on that perception check.” Chloe said. “Otherwise I totally would have known you were there.”

“+3 stealth, baby.” Steph smirked. 

Max slapped her face. “And you say I’m the nerd, Chloe.”

“Who do you think I get it from?” Chloe smirked, ruffling Max’s hair. 

Max pouted. 

“Anyway, let’s do this thing!” Chloe said, running up the stairs to the main door and unlocking it. 

“How the hell are there no alarms for this place?” Steph whispered.

Max blinked. Back in the other timeline, that thought hadn’t even crossed her mind. They really were just able to walk into the school building freely in the middle of the night. 

“That’s… a very good question.” Rachel whispered back. 

“You guys don’t have to whisper you know.” Chloe said loudly. “There’s no-one here.”

Max covered her ears. “And you don’t have to yell!” She cried, keeping her voice low. 

“Sorry.” Chloe muttered. She looked at Max apologetically before opening the door to the receptionist’s office. Max immediately began to walk around, hoping she didn’t have to resort to chemical warfare yet again. As Max predicted, Chloe couldn’t find the key on her massive ring of keys. Chloe cursed out loud and punched the door. 

“Jesus Christ, Chloe. Try not to leave too much of a mark.” Rachel whispered harshly. 

“You found anything, wondergirl?” Steph asked. 

“Hmm? Nah. Nothing.” Max replied dreamily. 

“You got a plan?” Chloe asked. 

Max winked. “My plan has a name.” She pulled out her cellphone and scrolled through her contacts to Warren’s name. She hesitated briefly, before shaking herself off and calling him. “Hey Warren. Yes yes I’m fine. Don’t stress.”

Chloe gave Max a funny look, before going back to lock-picking. 

“I need your ph- uh, chemistry expert stat: If you were to, say, construct a device that could hypothetically open a locked, maybe you’d kinda know how? Purely experimental. Okay good. Don’t ask. Just send me the text instructions now. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She hung up. 

“What did you want with Boy Wonder?” Chloe smirked. 

“Oh, you know, just a way to construct a pipe bomb.”

“A what?” Steph laughed. 

“Max, that’s so hot.” Chloe smiled. 

Rachel looked oddly concerned. “Will this work? Will you be okay?” 

“Rachel, I’ll be fine. Besides, it’s not like I haven’t done this before or anything.” Max said. They all shuddered. “Lockpick on your own recognisance. I’ll be right back.” Max disappeared out into the corridor. Looking at her phone, she scanned the classrooms for the various items she needed, trying not to think about the duct tape as she lightly jogged back to the Principal’s Office. She taped a can filled with the chemicals to the door handle, and stood back as Chloe lit the fuse. 

The door smacked open with a loud _ BANG! _, which immediately set off a loud alarm that rang throughout the school. 

“Shit shit!” Chloe cried. 

“Way to go, supergirl.” Steph said sarcastically, gritting her teeth. 

Max winked, not wasting another second to rush into the office and rewind time. The door closed, and the alarms blared no more. She smirked as she listened to the angry mutterings coming from outside the door. 

“If I can get this door open she can’t cheat with her rewind.” Chloe muttered as she fiddled with the lock. 

“What the hell is taking her so long?” Rachel whispered. “I’m starting to worry. And I’m freezing my butt off.” 

Max smiled, allowing herself a couple seconds to enjoy her schadenfreude before opening the door, relishing in her companions’ shocked expressions. “Welcome… to my domain.” 

“Girl you are magic!” Rachel cried eagerly. “I had no idea how you did that, but you did it sistah!” She ran forward, Max and Chloe stepping out of the way as she came into the office. Chloe smiled and walked in, as if the situation was completely normal. Steph was speechless. She stood in the frame of the doorway, struggling to comprehend what just happened. Her mouth was agape. Max giggled. 

Chloe was already making herself comfortable. She sat in Principal Wells’ big red chair and rested her feet on top of the large desk. 

“Get your filthy boots off of Wells’ desk.” Rachel jokingly scolded. 

“What’s he gonna do? Expel me?” Chloe smirked. She put them down anyway, setting to work examining the files on Wells’ computer. “Idiot left the password on a note in his desk.” She mumbled. “You guys have a look around. I’m gonna see if I can dig up anything.”

“I’ll join you.” Steph said, standing next to Chloe and leaning her hand on the desk. 

Rachel and Max wandered around, picking up a few files on various students. A few minutes later, Rachel dumped them on the desk and walked around to join Chloe and Steph. Max picked up a small bronze hawk sitting on the desk and examined it. 

“Ew Max, why are you even touching that thing? I can’t believe that bourgeois cunt has a bronze bird in his office. I’m glad I don’t go here anymore.” Chloe said. 

“I think he’s cute.” Max considered for a moment. She placed the bird in the centre of the desk and bent down, taking out her camera. “Smile for the camera.”

Chloe lifted her feet back onto the desk. Rachel leant down and smiled cheerfully. Steph walked around behind the chair, leering her face over the back of the chair so it sat above Chloe’s head. 

_ Click! _

Max took the photo out and shook it a couple times before pocketing it. 

Chloe set back to work on the computer. “So what did you guys find?” 

“Oh, you know, mostly stuff on us.” Max shrugged. 

“But…” Rachel reached over and pulled out a file from the stack. “I did find these.” She opened up Nathan and Samantha’s files. “Small police reports in Samantha’s, which makes sense, but look at Nathan’s.” She pushed it so Steph and Chloe could see. 

“The fucker has a spotless record.” Steph shook her head. “I shoulda known.”

“Daddy’s always out to protect his little boy.” Chloe snarled. 

Max frowned. “I don’t think it’s his son Sean Prescott was protecting.” 

“More like his business.” Rachel spat. “Why is Blackwell still covering for Nathan? His dad has been dead for years.”

“And I highly doubt his sister would care all that much.” Steph added. “She’s like a travel writer now.” 

“I don’t know? Routine? Or maybe she is involved.” Rachel suggested. 

Max shook her head. “I doubt that.”

“Max, just because you snatched her body briefly doesn’t mean you know who she is.” Chloe said. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that to be harsh.”

“Wait, what?” Steph asked, looking at Max. 

“It’s a long story.” Max said to Steph. She turned back to Chloe. “You’re right. At the end of the day, she’s still a Prescott.”

“Anyway, come look at this. Nathan’s actual file - it’s worse than mine: Bad grades, little attention in class, rude to teachers, disruptive, picked fights?” Chloe shook her head. “And to think Wells was so ready to expel _ me _.” She looked at Rachel. “Good thing your dad was there to save my ass.”

Rachel glared at Chloe. 

“Sorry, sensitive subject.”

“Let’s just focus on the task at hand.” Rachel said. 

“Check out that file.” Steph pointed. 

“It’s just some creepy drawing.” Chloe shrugged. 

Rachel gasped. “It’s not a drawing. Look!” 

Max walked over to peer at the strange drawing. “Sammie wants to play, Sammie wants to play… over and over.”

“Jesus, that’s… so fucked up.” Steph said. 

“Sammie? Ugh that makes me feel sick.” Rachel said, turning away. 

“Letters from Nathan’s psychiatrist back and forth between him and Principal Wells…” Max said. 

“It looks like he wanted to take Nathan out of school for an extended period of time.” Steph said. “I doubt Principal Reputation wouldn’t have been happy about that.”

“And yet, it was his inaction that got Sam and Victoria hurt.” Max growled.

“Well, I’d wager this as mostly unsuccessful.” Chloe stood up. “Absolutely nothing on Jefferson, and what we do have can’t help us as Nathan and Sam are already in the fucking hospital. So, we’re done here.”

“Wait!” Rachel cried, grabbing Chloe’s hand before she could turn off the computer. She pointed at Wells’ email. “Check out that email.”

“It’s from David.” Chloe said. “The whole exchange has been deleted?” She looked at Rachel. “We’ll continue this in person and you can show me what you’ve found. For now I’m deleting this exchange. Can’t leave any evidence.”

“What the fuck?” Max asked. 

“I think my stepfather knows more than he is letting on.”

“So what do we do? Interrogate him?” Max asked. 

“The fuck are you on, Max?” Chloe asked. “The second he’s onto us, that’s it! He’ll make sure we don’t go anywhere NEAR Jefferson or whatever he is searching for. No, we gotta be sneaky. Steal his files or some shit.”

“Luckily, I know someone who’s pretty good at that.” Rachel smiled and looked at Max.

“Alright. I’ll take a peek through his files tomorrow.” Max rolled her eyes. “We can spend the evening with him and Joyce. That’ll give us an excuse.”

“Sweet!” Chloe clapped her hands. “It’s pool time!” She turned off the computer and ran out of the office. 

“That impish look she has scares me sometimes.” Rachel muttered, but her face quickly rose and she chased after Chloe. 

“I think I’ll just walk the 100 yards to the pool.” Steph said, slowly pushing herself off the back of the chair and stretching. “Wanna join me?”

“It’s not like I have any other company.” Max said slyly, falling in step beside Steph. She shut the door behind her as they left the office. They walked together, making excited conversation about their after-dark pool-escapade until they joined up with Rachel and Chloe. 

Chloe gestured to the two changing rooms either side of her. “Boys or girls?”

Steph quickly ran to the girl’s changing room door, and Rachel ran to the boy’s door just as quickly. 

“Ugh, you would.” Chloe jeered at Rachel. Rachel stuck her tongue out back at Chloe. Chloe rolled her eyes and turned back to Max. “Deciding vote.”

Max considered for a moment. Truth be told, she was impartial. She already knew what was behind both doors, but she thought of how fun it would be to mess with the others again. “Girls, of course.” 

“Girls? Ooh la la.” Chloe said, walking over to unlock the girl’s changing room door. “Let me go check if the pool’s heated.” Steph breathed a sigh of relief. Rachel glared at Max. 

“Are you kidding? This is a perfect opportunity to sneak through the boy’s stuff!” Rachel whined. 

“What? Like their dirty underwear? Please. That place probably reeks.” Steph shuddered. 

Max said nothing, instead winking at Rachel and placing a finger to her lips. Rachel grinned evilly. 

“You motherfucker.” She whispered. She followed Max and the others into the changing rooms. Steph immediately held her nose.

“Woof. This place isn’t all roses either.” Steph said nasally. Max scanned the area, looking for things that might stand out. “Heh, check this out.” She called out to Rachel and Steph. Chloe had already walked through the changing rooms and past the showers to the pool area. “Victoria’s secret is… selfies.” Max grinned.

“Didn’t she make fun of you earlier in the year for being ‘the selfie hoe?’” Rachel giggled. 

“Wow. Projecting, much.” Steph said. She took off her beanie and scratched her head. She wandered around while Max and Rachel were busy giggling at Victoria’s duck face. She came to a locker that she recognised as Samantha’s and opened it. “Jesus Christ…” She whispered to herself. “Guys, you better come look at this.” She said loudly. Max and Rachel obeyed. 

“Letters and photos from Nathan?” Rachel asked. “That’s so weird.”

“And in her gym locker too…” Max added. 

“Seems she was hiding a lot of things.” Steph said, pulling more stuff out of the locker. 

“A bus ticket?” Max asked. “Was she planning on running away?” 

“Strange. She really liked Blackwell and Arcadia Bay. I can’t imagine her running so quickly, especially from her family.” Rachel said.

“I met her parents once. They seemed nice.” Steph said. 

“Hmm.” Max said. 

“Do you remember that girl, I think her name was Kelly?” Steph asked. “Max you wouldn’t, this was a few years ago.” She put the letters and photos back and turned to Rachel. “She was like, a couple years above us?” 

“Vaguely?” Rachel answered. “I know she was a cheerleader. Dana probably knew her.”

“Well you probably talk to Dana more than me.” Steph replied. “Anyway, do you remember when she just disappeared?”

Rachel scratched her head. “I think so?”

“Yeah, a lot of people were saying she just skipped town. For no reason. Just up and left.” Steph replied. 

“Weird.” Rachel said. Her jaw suddenly dropped. “Wait, are you saying-“

“Could have.” Steph nodded. “I mean it makes sense, right?” Max frowned. “Drew was saying she was acting real weird a few days before she disappeared.”

“And it never got reported?” Max asked. 

“People vanish from Arcadia Bay all the time.” Rachel said. “This is a town full of runaways.” 

Max felt uneasy. She forced herself away from the locker and walked through the showers towards the pool. Rachel and Steph followed. Max whispered to Rachel, “I was gonna do this cool thing where I rewind and open the changing room door, but I don’t wanna erase what we’ve seen. We can just go into the boy’s locker room from here to snoop.”

Rachel nodded. 

“Oh my God, there you are! Took you long enough!” Chloe cried. “Oh, and there you go again.” She said as Max and Rachel quickly walked past her towards the boy’s locker room. Steph walked over and sat next to Chloe, taking her shoes and socks off and resting her feet in the water. 

“We found some weird shit in Sam’s locker. I imagine they’re eager to find shit in Nathan’s locker.” Steph explained. 

“Oh. Shit. I see.” Chloe said. 

Max followed Rachel through the showers and into the locker room. As Steph predicted, the place reeked. 

“Oooo gossip!” Rachel cried. “Check it out Zachary cheating on Juliet with Victoria!” 

“What?” Max cried angrily. She snatched up Zachary’s phone from Rachel’s hands, reading the texts between him and Victoria. “Oh for fuck’s sake.” Max moaned, placing the phone back in the locker and slamming the door. “I thought she changed.”

Rachel shrugged. “Personally, I think it’s hilarious. Ugly dumb jock Zachary going for pretty girl Bitchoria? I have to laugh.” Rachel saw Max’s look. “Okay yeah, I feel bad for Julie. That poor girl…” Rachel shook her head. “I can’t believe that dumbass is throwing away that giant fucking rack for Victoria.”

“Ew, Rachel!” Max cried. 

“What? It’s true! Juliet has nice tits!” 

“Ugh.” Max shook her head. “Anyway, I found Nathan’s locker.” She pried it open. “What? I don’t get it! It’s completely empty!”

“Well, he was just suspended…” Rachel said. “Wait, hold on-“ She reached into the back of the locker, sticking her finger through a hole in the back of the locker. “Aha!” She pulled a small bag of white powder. “I knew it! Classic drug hole. Chloe used to stash doobies at the back of her locker.” 

Max took the bag and studied it. “Holy shit. Is that cocaine?”

Rachel snatched the bag back and looked at it again. “Holy shit. I think you’re right. If it is, this whole bag is about $500 worth.”

“Oh my God.” Max breathed. “Don’t tell Chloe.”

“Ha!” Rachel laughed. “I think we know why Nathan is still so fucked in the head.” She reached back, placing the bag carefully back in the hole behind the locker. “Come on, I’m dying for that swim.” She grabbed Max’s hands and they ran back to the pool. Chloe had taken her clothes off and was in the process of putting her bikini top on. 

“Let’s go hot stuff!” Rachel cheered. Rachel let go of Max’s hand and proceeded to quickly tear off all of her clothes. She cannonballed into the pool without even putting her bikini on. 

“WOOHOO!” Chloe screamed, her voice echoing around the pool. “Damn, girl!” She jumped into the pool next to her. 

“Great. Well now I’m soaked.” Steph moaned. 

“Come on, chickens!” Chloe goaded. 

“Oh, you’re asking for it!” Max cried, running over to the duffel bag and quickly putting her swim clothes on underneath her actual clothes. She felt uncomfortable fully undressing in front of Steph, unlike Chloe and Rachel. By contrast, Steph didn’t seem to care either, as she too stood up and decided to skinny-dip. She somersaulted into the pool, her back smacking against the water. 

“Ooo, ow!” Rachel winced. 

“S’nothing.” Steph said as she surfaced. “My ass has been smacked harder.”

“Bottom.” Chloe said under her breath.

“Excuse you!” Steph cried, splashing Chloe with water. “I can’t believe Chloe Elizabeth Price is telling lies and slander.”

“Libel, I say!” Rachel mocked. 

Max was finally ready and she dived straight towards Chloe. 

“Ah!” Chloe cried. “This isn’t fair! You guys are ganging up on me!” She laughed. 

“That’s what you get for that awful joke.” Steph said. 

“What? Just cause I’m the only top in the group.” Chloe shrugged. 

“Just you fucking wait, missy.” Rachel splashed water right into Chloe’s face. She spluttered. 

“Ugh, fine! I admit defeat.” Chloe said. She lay on her back, keeping herself buoyant as she looked up at the ceiling. She sighed. “I’m so glad we did this. I’m so glad we’re all here together.”

“God, me too.” Rachel sighed. She joined Steph and Max in lying on her back alongside Chloe. Because they were skinny, Max and Rachel had trouble staying fully afloat. “I love being in here at night. It is the best feeling.”

“It’s like one last fuck you to Blackwell.” Steph said. 

Chloe laughed. “Yep. Even when I’m not a student, I’m still breaking the rules.” She tilted her head towards Max. “Max?”

“Yeah?” Max responded. 

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For everything.” Chloe said. “You sacrificed so much. I can predict there was a time where you and I broke in here, just the two of us. And only you remember it.”

Max said nothing. 

“You saved Samantha’s life. And so many others. Yeah what you’re going through now sucks but take some to reflect on all the good things you have done, that you’ve brought into existence.”

“Take me, for instance.” Rachel said. “Without you, I wouldn’t be here.” She swam over to Max and rested her head on Max’s shoulder. “And what you’re doing now takes immense guts, and Chloe and I want you to know that we’re so so proud of you.” 

Max smiled. “Thanks. Both of you.”

“I’m just gonna pretend I understand what’s going on.” Steph chuckled. “Seriously, though. From what I understand, you were given a special power, and you’re using it to help people. You’re putting yourself through so much pain and torment just to save the lives of people you barely know.” Steph swam to the edge and rested against the wall. “That takes an incredible amount of guts. You have real integrity Max.”

Max could feel herself starting to cry. She sniffed. “Thank you.” 

Chloe splashed Max with some water. “Anyway, enough of that mushy shit. We should be splashing each other. Otter vs. Shark style.”

Max giggled, splashing Chloe back with a wave of water. Rachel laughed, using both of her hands to splash Chloe and Max at the same time. 

Steph shook her head at the sight. She pushed herself out of the pool and grabbed her towel. She saw a flash of light in the distance. “Shit. Someone’s coming!” She cried out. 

Immediately, all three girls stopped splashing and jumped out of the pool, quickly drying themselves off and getting back into their clothes. They raced through the locker room towards the main doors.

“Make sure you check the whole perimeter!” David shouted from outside. 

“Shit!” Chloe cried, grabbing Max’s hand and running back into the locker room. “Hide!” She whispered to the other girls as she hid in a small space between the lockers and the locker room door. Steph crawled underneath a bench and dared not move. Rachel held onto Max for dear life. 

“Max, do something!” Rachel hissed. 

“Like what?” Max whispered. 

“Rewind! Get us out of this!” 

“Okay okay, just stay behind me and hold on tight.” She heard the locker room door swing open as a security guard walked in, waving his torch around.

“Better not try any Halloween pranks after today. I’m serious.” The guard threatened. 

Max walked slowly around the lockers, keeping behind the guard. The guard shone his torch over the bench where Steph was, but did not see her. The guard slowly walked through the showers and into the main pool area. Max quickly checked the main doors and signalled to the others it was clear. Steph rolled out from underneath the bench and rejoined the others as they ran out of the building towards the parking. 

“Come crash at ours!” Chloe cried to Steph. “Hop in the back.” She wrenched open the driver’s door and got in, throwing the duffel bag into the back.

Steph grinned. She ran up to the truck and used the towbar to vault over into the back of the truck, holding onto her and Chloe’s duffel bags. 

Chloe quickly put the truck in gear and it roared as she spun the truck around. “HAHAHA SEE YA FUCKERS! WE ARE SO FUCKING AWESOME!” She screamed. She drifted around the corner and sped off down the road into the night. 

  
  
  



End file.
